When it comes to safety in the workplace, one accident is one too many. Everyone understands that a safe work environment is essential for employee well-being and productivity during working hours. Working in an unsafe environment affects employees’ mental and physical health. It can have long-term implications on their lives and careers, as they are forced to take time off work or switch to part-time roles due to disability or medical complications arising out of accidents at work. Safe work environments, therefore, are not just about complying with applicable regulations but enabling employees to focus on their responsibilities and avoid any distractions or threats that can put them at risk of suffering an injury or contracting an illness while working.
Establish a culture of safety from the top down
Even though you may have the best safety protocol in place, the whole exercise will be rendered useless if your employees don’t buy into the importance of following the rules. It’s not just about the job role an individual has, but about the culture across your organization. Employees at all levels should be made to understand that the safety of other colleagues and their own well-being is not just a priority but a necessity and that violating safety protocols is unacceptable under any circumstances. Your employees need to know that you take the safety of all workers extremely seriously and that you are always ready to intervene and provide assistance if anyone faces threats to their safety while performing their duties.
Ensure employees are trained and well equipped
From general safety tips and guidelines to specific instructions on how to safely use equipment, employees must be trained or retrained on all aspects of workplace safety. To ensure that everyone is fully trained and equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to avoid accidents, you must conduct periodic refresher courses and provide all employees sign-off on a certificate at the end of the course, indicating their completion. Make sure that all workers are equipped with the tools that might help them avoid accidents. For example, if you have employees who work with machinery, ensure they are protected against the risks of being injured by flying parts, such as goggles or face shields.
Carry out regular inspections
You must put measures in place to ensure that your workplace complies with the applicable safety standards. However, as time passes, equipment is replaced, and new employees are hired, your workplace may fall below the required standards. In such situations, you must conduct regular inspections of your workplace to identify deficiencies and take corrective action as soon as possible. Inspect all equipment, tools, and supplies regularly to ensure they work as they should and are safe to use. If you have any doubts or concerns about the safety of any equipment, supplies, or tools, replace them, or get them repaired or replaced as soon as possible. You can hire external companies to carry out checks such as Process safety to ensure complete compliance with all laws and regulations.
Enforce safety protocols at all levels
Enforcing safety protocols at all levels is essential to maintaining a safe workplace. When all employees follow the safety rules, injuries, illnesses, and accidents are less likely to happen. However, you must enforce safety protocols to ensure they are followed. Having protocols in place is good, but if nobody follows them, they’re useless. You can take various steps to make sure that all employees follow safety protocols; for example, you can ask your employees to sign a safety contract when they join the organization, in which they commit to following the rules and protocols for a safe workplace.
Conclusion
Safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. It is not something that can be outsourced or delegated to a single department. Everyone needs to be involved in some way or the other in maintaining a safe working environment.