Keeping a safe workplace environment is attractive for new and current employees and employers. Regardless of the size of a company, well-implemented safety measures keep the business, equipment and supplies, and people out of harm’s way. It is important to have discussions with your employees about proper safety and precautions.
Employees have to feel comfortable and confident that they will return home from work every day the same way they arrived. Safety measures will vary depending on the nature of your business, but the value of discussions concerning it is important within any workplace environment. Speaking with your employees about what safety measures you require and value will also provide an opportunity for them to express what they expect to feel secure each day.
Additional Benefits to a Safe Workplace
Keeping your business safe and healthy has several benefits beyond simply keeping everyone and everything out of harm’s way. Safety measures keep a workplace more productive because an absence of mistakes and accidents doesn’t allow for any time or money to be taken away from actual work. Accidents can also increase costs, resulting in downtime for safety investigations and paying workers’ compensation.
Discussing Potential Risks
The first step is to discuss potential risks with your employees, which could include mechanical problems, dangerous chemicals, or hazardous electrical equipment. For example, if your business is an IT company, your employees could come in contact with wires and electronics that pose an electrical threat to people and the equipment. In another instance, construction companies work with heavy equipment that is dangerous to employees and the public if not handled properly. In both of these cases, a discussion about what safety hazards are present is vital.
Implementing Safety Programs
After your employees are aware of any potential risks within the workplace, you can implement safety programs and ensure that all of your employees are dedicated to maintaining safety. One way to do this is to include safety in the company’s mission statement, by providing the hazards in writing for employees to review and revisit, you reduce the chances of mistakes being made. It should be the duty of each employee to maintain safety as much as it is the employer’s duty to make all information accessible.
Safety Training
Safety training is an essential part of keeping a workplace from having any issues. Research shows that new employees have a higher risk of accidents, so ensuring that everyone is properly trained and educated before starting is essential. Employees may feel that some training is repetitive or unnecessary, but it is important to have a conversation with them about why they are being trained and the risks associated with not doing it.
Prioritizing Health and Well-Being
Open communication is very valuable to keeping your business and its employees safe. Everyone should feel comfortable enough to always report any safety concerns to the management because employers have a legal obligation to ensure that these issues be taken care of.
Your employees are more likely to make mistakes when they are feeling stressed or overworked. If your employees are not taking regular breaks, or do not feel like they can go to their superiors with concerns about their mental health and well-being, this can lead to more accidents and increased risk. An important aspect of keeping a workplace safe is to keep the overall environment healthy. Make it clear to your employees that their mental and physical health is important to you as an employer.
Conversations About Safety are Essential
Overall, one of the most important ways to keep your workplace environment safe is to have conversations with your employees about risks and ways to prevent accidents. As an employer, it is your responsibility to promote safe practices and to discuss the policies thoroughly with your employees. An employee is going to feel safe at a job where they also feel comfortable, so it should be clear to your workers that their health and safety are as important to you as it is to them.
Roni Davis is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area. She writes for Mount Holly workers’ compensation lawyer Stan Gregory.
