When you consider how many moving parts are involved with running a business, certain areas can become overlooked and underutilized. One such area is health and safety.
Of course, every business will have some form of security in place to protect employees and assets. This will be higher with certain industries where safety is imperative, including construction and manufacturing. However, statistics from 2018 suggest 2.8 million US workers suffered illnesses or injuries while on the job.
Are you concerned about the current safety measures of your business? Do you feel they could be improved upon? If you said ‘yes’ to both questions, the following article will detail five methods for increasing safety in your business:
Educate and Train Employees
First of all, it is vital that all employees are trained and up to date with your company’s health and safety rules. This is particularly the case if the workplace has the potential to cause serious injury due to negligence.
Along with teaching staff members, it’s highly recommended to provide clearly written instructions next to any processes that carry a degree of risk. A one-time lesson on safety is also not appropriate. You should have regular lessons so that all procedures are fresh in the minds of your employees.
Monitor the Workplace
When it comes to the equipment used at work, all pieces should be regularly checked. This will assist with maintaining the equipment and guaranteeing it’s safe for employees to use.
The workplace itself should also be regularly monitored. If stock is being piled up in the wrong areas, for example, this could prove to be a health hazard. By checking on a consistent basis, this will ensure all stock is kept in the correct place.
Keep Your Drivers Safe
If your business operates a fleet, this means you have the added responsibility of keeping your drivers safe. While road accidents are inevitable, there are ways to reduce the possibility of this happening.
With EnVue Telematics, for example, you can utilize technology to your advantage. The company provides revolutionary technology such as the rear-end collision deterrent, which enhances the brake light with rapid pulses when the brake pedal is pressed. EnVue Telematic’s vehicle camera system solutions can also provide insights into the performance of drivers, and real-time coaching is available if they begin to drive in an unsafe manner.
Use Accidents as Research
Accidents are unfortunate. However, don’t just view them in a negative light. In fact, they can supply an insight into why the accident happened in the first place. With this research, you should be armed with enough information to ensure a similar accident won’t happen again in the workplace.
Maintain an Open Dialogue
Discussing health and safety concerns with your employees can be beneficial for obvious reasons. For instance, they are operating in the workplace and dealing with certain processes more than others. They’ll know if there are any lapses in terms of safety and they will be able to bring this up to you. Additionally, staff members might have their own ideas to improve the general safety of the workplace.
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Interesting related article: “What is a Hazard?“