There are nearly 3 million workplace illnesses and injuries in America every year.
Workplace accidents happen all the time and, in some workplaces, they’re almost unavoidable. If this describes your warehouse or factory, then you need to make sure that you’re doing what you can to minimize harmful accidents. Doing so protects your employees, but it also protects your bottom line.
In this post, we’re going to give you a brief guide that makes workplace safety simple and effective. Once you’ve implemented the proper procedures, all you need to do is pay attention and you’ll see the number of accidents drop dramatically.
Keep reading and put workplace injuries in your rearview mirror.
Incentivize Safety Procedures
You can have all of the proper safety measures in place, but if your employees don’t know how to work safely, then you’re going to have problems. Often, smart management is about communication. As long as your workers have access to thorough safety training, then you’ll avoid accidents.
Rewarding employees for safe behavior can help to avoid complacency, which is usually what causes safety issues. Small gifts or monetary rewards for those that make an effort to follow safety procedures are an easy way to keep people on track.
Get the Right Equipment
Providing access to all of the necessary safety equipment and encouraging employees to invest in their own safety goes a long way. If you’re in a warehouse with lots of moving parts and machinery, things like steel toe boots, safety vests, hard hats, and goggles should all be available.
Use Labels and Keep Clean
Labels allow you to communicate important safety information. Specifically, when there are potential hazards, signage can encourage safe working without you actually having to keep an eye on your employees.
Keeping the workplace clean and clutter-free is a good way to avoid accidents. Even in small offices, when there are boxes and light equipment clogging up pathways, people are bound to get hurt. Arrange your office in a sensible way and make sure employees are cleaning up after themselves.
Inspect Your Machinery Regularly
Your heavy machinery should be inspected and maintained on a regular basis. According to OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, machine operators experience 18,000 crushing injuries, lacerations, abrasions, and amputations per year, on top of around 800 fatalities.
Keeping all machinery in great shape and having your employees properly trained on how to use them can prevent these health and safety risks.
Listen to Your Employees
As a small business owner, the best tip we can give is to listen to your employees. Those in the warehouse on a daily basis are the ones that know best when workplace health and safety becomes an untenable situation.
Hold regular meetings with them and take what they say to heart, making changes when necessary. Not only will this stave off injuries, but it’ll improve employee happiness and workplace culture as a whole.
Smart Management and Workplace Safety
Investing time and resources into workplace safety is what smart management is all about. If your small business is going to thrive, then you need to make sure your employees are safe and happy. Use these tips and start taking health and safety more seriously.
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