With so many staff working within one building or work site, there’s always the worry that someone will injure themselves. However, if precautions are in place and staff are trained well, this won’t happen. Here are some tips to avoid injuries in the workplace.
Keep Workspaces Clear Of Clutter
Clutter is the one major problem that many of us have because it can be quite easy in our daily routine just to let our workspaces become a bit of a mess. And that’s expected if it’s due to various bits of paperwork. However, when that turns into things like bulky boxes and objects that are lying around and waiting to be tripped over, it’s time to take action. The operations side of the building should hold some responsibility in checking the ease of access for all staff members to and from their work stations. If there are problems, then they need to be highlighted and dealt with immediately to avoid anyone getting injured.
There should also be some responsibility on the heads of the department, but ultimately, it’s the staff member themselves who should be making sure that their workspace is the cleanest it can be. And if they don’t, then they should get pulled up on it. HR should also be a port of call to help managers communicate a need for change in the workspace to specific staff members.
Have A Reporting System To Spot Dangers
Not everyone has the ability to see everything that goes on in a building or has an awareness of things that aren’t working. However, it’s certainly worth having a reporting system in place in order for other staff members to spot the dangers. Whether that be an online system or simply a logbook that the operations manager can keep a note of. It’s good to have your staff work as a team in order to spot the problems within the building before they get out of hand. That way, work sites can avoid injuries from happening like these oil & gas personal injuries that tend to happen often. The reporting system can be used by everyone, and you could also have levels of urgency so that the operations team in your building know which ones to prioritize.
Ensure all staff knows how this platform works or process works and be sure to introduce any new staff to it as and when it’s needed.
Have Clear Signage Displayed
Sometimes, we can work off direction when it’s said to us, but for some, we need a visual cue. And that’s totally fine because everyone works a little differently. Whether it’s a wet floor or a broken toilet, there should always be clear signage displayed around the building when needed. This not only helps people to spot an issue but it also protects you as a business. If you have a warning sign there, like a wet floor sign for example, then if a staff member chooses to ignore it and injures themselves in some way, then it’s them who are going to have to take responsibility and not yourselves as the employer.
Train Your Staff
You can’t assume that every staff member is going to have the same common sense or awareness as the next person. That means that when it comes to training your staff, you should ensure that you’ve given them the full low down on how the building operates and all the safety features and procedures that they should be following within the building. This should also be in the form of a policy that you have visibly displayed around the workplace. It’s a good thing to have to protect yourself as a business too.
Put In Precautions And Preventions
Whenever an injury happens, it’s best, there was no precaution or prevention in place to help avoid said injury. Sometimes people can do stupid things but that as a company, you need to do everything you can in order to stop an accident from happening. It might be putting safety features in place of using heavy machinery and ensuring everyone who uses that appliance, is trained and qualified to do so. If spillages happen, there should be an almost immediate reaction to either getting a wet floor sign on display and cleaning said spillage. The more preventions you put in place, the better.
Never Take Shortcuts
And finally, it’s important never to take shortcuts. It doesn’t achieve anything, especially when it comes to the safety of you and your staff members. Don’t try and fix situations or hazards temporarily because this is only going to cause more problems further down the line. You should also teach this practice to staff members too. A lot of us like to rush things, and that can be the cause of accidents and injuries because of skipping ahead and missing out the vital steps. Teach everyone to take care and not to take any shortcuts when completing a task, especially when it involves handling dangerous machinery. Make sure that any instructions given are clearly laid out and emphasized. If possible, have someone overseeing the work that the staff member is doing for the first few times. This will make ensure that all staff is working in accordance with what is standard procedure.
Injuries are most likely to happen in the workplace if safety precautions are not put in place. However, every staff member has a duty of care to one another, and so everyone must work as a team in order to raise a red flag regarding their working area and to maintain a clear workspace. So to conclude, ensure that staff are keeping their workspaces free of clutter. Have a reporting system in place for staff to log complaints or issues within the building. Ensure clear signage is displayed at all times whenever anything breaks or becomes faulty. Train your staff well and remind them not to take shortcuts and that preventions and precautions are put in place to protect them and their colleagues.
