Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

By Rayanne Morriss

Many working hours or days are lost because of employee injuries. Workplace accidents are common, and they not only cause mental and physical harm to workers but also affect the company’s profitability. Rather than waiting for accidents to occur and then take action, it is wise to be proactive and prevent these accidents before they happen. Workplace accidents can be costly for your business. Here are steps you can take to prevent workplace accidents.

Discourage employees against risky behaviors

Some employees are playful, no matter their age. Some may also be aggressive as they attempt to impress their supervisors, maybe if they want a raise. Whatever the case, try to discourage your employees from risky behaviors as much as possible. Let them know that their actions have consequences, so they should be careful in whatever they do.

Have control measures in place

You understand better the risks your employees are exposed to in every department where they work. For example, those in the IT department have electrical appliances to deal with. Those on construction sites are also exposed to falling objects and other risky objects. If you are in a medical set up, your employees can be exposed to infections. Try to identify these risk factors and implement the appropriate measure to protect your employees.

Review your procedures and policies

Technology changes and work procedures also change. So, the work procedures and policies you put in place several years back may not be relevant today. You should review your procedures and policies, and work toward the aim of enhancing the safety of your employees. If you have installed new equipment or bought new tools, your employees will need to get re-trained on how to handle them. If possible, you can hire an expert to carry out the training. Additionally, if you update safety protocols or policies, communicate the same to your employees as soon as possible.

Perform inspections regularly

The equipment and tools you use in your company are bound to suffer from wear and tear. The older they become, the more dangerous they become to use. Whether you are in manufacturing, shipping, or construction, you must do inspections regularly. Workplace injuries don’t just happen at higher risk companies or businesses. According to professionals at a law practice in Birmingham, even “sitting at a desk for a long period of time or working at a computer can lead to significant stress on the body and injury.”

If you care about your company and your employees, ensure the equipment and tools used in the company remain in good working condition to avoid injuries. Regular inspection will ensure that problems are detected early enough and corrected. The equipment that needs repairs should be repaired while those that need replacements should also be replaced before it is too late.

Provide hands-on training

Academic training alone isn’t enough to allow someone to work effectively in a job situation. An employee who’s not well trained is a liability to a company. That’s why, after engaging your employees, you need to re-train them, so they have skills that align with their job descriptions. This is the surest way to boost the level of safety in your firm. Providing hands-on training may be costly, but you will reap the benefits in the long run.

Supervise your employees

Even with training and re-training, your employees will still need supervision. Have enough supervisors in every department to ensure your employees are doing the right things all the time. Supervisors should also be able to assist your employees whenever they face difficult situations. For this reason, the supervisors themselves also need special training to fully understand all that which goes on in their various departments.

Let technology work for you

With the current technological development, many accidents can be avoided at workplaces. You can install fire detectors, smoke detectors, leak detectors, etc., to alert your employees whenever something amiss happens.

The security of your employees is in your hands. Remember, you can face lawsuits if an employee gets injured while on duty. That’s why you need to put measures to ensure nobody gets injured in your business premises. This applies to everyone who visits your business premise and not only the employees.

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Rayanne Morriss is currently working towards her BA from Oregon State University. She loves to write, read, travel, and paint. She enjoys finding new coffee shops with friends and expanding her cooking skills with her husband.