Workplace accidents are a common occurrence. Every day more than a dozen US workers die from a work-related injury and another 10,000 are seriously injured. As a business owner, it is important that you are careful to take as many steps as possible to protect your employees and your business.
1. Workers are allowed to refuse to work in unsafe working conditions. As an employer, you need to respect these refusals and investigate the safety issues that your employees are describing. If the conditions are unsafe, be sure to fix them before allowing workers to return to the work site.
2. Create a plan for your employees to follow in case of an emergency. Make sure your employees know the procedure, include it in company handbooks and post it around the work sites.
3. Start to establish safety at the very beginning. Your new employees should know about safety procedures their first day of work. During training, be sure to emphasize the importance of safety.
4. It is essential that the management team also understands how important it is to take steps to avoid accidents. If management is cautious, workers are more likely to be cautious as well.
5. If your workers do not know how to safely approach a task, they should not begin it. Tell them to consult a superior before starting the job.
6. Employees should notify management if they notice any hazardous conditions. Management should be open to these concerns and assess the problem. It should then be reported to the superior.
7. Make sure that employees know to report any injury, even minor injuries immediately. If the injury requires treatment, make sure the worker gets the treatment right away. Delay in treatment could turn a minor injury into a major injury.
8. Hold safety-training sessions to remind all employees just how important workplace safety is. Also use this time to review safety procedures and any new accident prevention information.
9. Hire a safety consultant to assess the amount of danger that is in your worksite. The consultant can make suggestions to help reduce the potential for accidents. Many insurance companies provide consultants at no extra charge.
10. If an accident does occur on your worksite, it is essential that you take the proper steps to report the incident. Accident reports should include a list of prohibited actions, the company’s accident policy, medical reports, and any additional safety procedures.
Workplace accidents are a serious danger and business owners need to be sure to take them seriously. If you are cautious and follow safety guidelines, then your workplace will be a better environment for all employees and yourself.
