Advice and tips for staying safe on the job – Part 2

This article continues the topic of safety in the workplace. Every company should have a goal of zero injuries per year. Nobody wants to get hurt or develop an illness due to their job, and so every measure should be taken to ensure employee safety.

Personal Safety and Security

Managers should outline personal safety precautions that employees should take each day. Some common precautions are:

Report or take care of a hazardous condition as soon as it is spotted, such as a spill on the floor, an exposed electrical wire, or an overfull shelving unit.

Security should be top of mind as well. It’s always wise to make sure that whoever is the last person to leave have someone else there to walk to their vehicle together. And for the perimeter of your office or facility be well lit, all night long. Having security cameras or even just signs that reference security cameras will deter anyone who may be perusing the building.

Sometimes, injuries happen when violence breaks out between two or more employees. Have a clear no-weapons policy and no fighting policy. Encourage employees to go to human resources or a manager for conflict mediation help, if they are experiencing conflict with another worker. Management can also offer access to a confidential helpline for counseling services. In addition, having a no-tolerance policy for workplace harassment and bullying will help everyone feel safer and prevent lawsuits. Bullying or belittling of others by an employee should never be tolerated.

Accident Prevention And Response

Good managers develop comprehensive accident prevention plans, and create accident response procedures to foster a proactive environment and create a safe atmosphere. This should include developing and mapping out Evacuation Plans in case of emergencies. Not only should management post them around the workplace in visible areas but also have a meeting or walk-through to ensure that all workers understand the evacuation plan.

A good emergency plan also has instructions on how to account for all employees once the building has been evacuated, and ensure that all workers go to a safe place. In any type of workplace, it is a great idea to create a system where all accidents and hazards can be reported and that ensures investigation of every accident or hazard to determine the cause. This will result in making necessary modifications to the company emergency and evacuation policy.

Staying safe is a community responsibility. Both owners and manager and workers of any given business need to be aware of their surroundings and know what to do to maintain a safe environment. Working together will reduce worker injuries and workers compensation claims. As workers compensation attorneys in Oklahoma, we see all types of on the job injuries and cases, and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Fire and natural disasters

Unexpected natural events can be frightening safety hazards in the workplace. Have a fire engineer come to your location and designate areas where fire extinguishers will be set up. Clearly, mark all fire extinguisher locations, and train every employee on the proper way to use the extinguishers. Have the extinguishers checked once a year to make sure they are filled and operational. Never allow fire exits to be blocked on either side and make sure all fire safety signs are lit at all times.

Computer safety

Summarize all your safety guidelines and share them with your employees and co-workers in the form of a Guide or Manual for required review.