Not only does a safe and healthy work environment protect employees from injury and illness, but it can also increase productivity, raise employee morale, and reduce costs. Simply put, prioritizing workplace safety is good for business!
Why is Workplace Safety Important?
A safe workplace is imperative to ensuring everyone in your organization is safe and healthy. Specialized safety procedures and policies such as first aid/CPR, heavy equipment operation, and confined space training can create a thriving, productive work environment.
Signs That Safety Is a Priority in Your Organization
Running a business comes with a lot of responsibility, and one of the biggest responsibilities is ensuring your workers’ safety. So, is safety a top priority at your business? Here are four ways to tell.
You Have a Defined Workplace Safety Plan
To have a safe work environment, there needs to be a written health and safety plan put in place. This essentially acts as a road map for dealing with various safety-related issues that may arise on the job. A workplace safety plan should be easily accessible and widely known to all employees.
Additionally, you should have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place. This plan is a written document required by certain OSHA standards and should be as detailed as possible. It will include information about employee roles during various emergencies, training requirements, and important contact information.
So, if your organization has these defined plans already in place and being implemented, good job! You’re on the right path—but there’s still more to be done.
You Use Safety Signs
Signage plays a major role in communicating to workers what hazards are present and how to avoid them. Safety signs must be easily understandable and placed in appropriate locations. Effective safety signs give workers a heads up and allow them to take proper precautions to ensure their health and safety. Businesses that regularly utilize safety signage are definitely prioritizing workers’ wellbeing.
You Established A Safety Committee
Every company can benefit from a health and safety committee. This specific type of group is comprised of employees that are dedicated to workplace injury prevention and work to minimize hazards in the workplace. Of course, they won’t be able to eliminate all accidents completely, but they can certainly help lower injury rates. A safety committee is also in charge of safety meetings, inspections, investigations, incident reports, emergency drills, and safety education and training.
You should ensure that your safety committee members are organized individuals who are dedicated to the group’s mission. In addition, the committee should represent the entire company, so it can include employees and management from various backgrounds and positions.
You Train and Educate Your Staff
Safety training and education are essential to every organization. It can effectively reduce the number of employee injuries, workers’ compensation claims, and property damage. So, if you provide adequate safety training at your organization, you’re doing yourself a favor.
Without proper safety training, employees will not have sufficient knowledge of safety topics associated with their jobs. Therefore, they will be at greater risk for injury, illness, or even death. In order to ensure that everyone in your organization is prepared at all times, you should hire a professional third-party safety consulting firm. In addition, employees can attend specialized training courses depending on their specific positions and responsibilities.
Keep in mind that safety training isn’t a one-time thing. It’s wise to do a refresher course now and again to ensure all employees are up to date on all the most current safety procedures and OSHA standards.
Best-In-Class Houston Safety Training and Consulting
In conclusion, employers will find that following these guidelines will ultimately prevent workplace injuries, reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve compliance.
At Safety By Design, our mission is to help businesses grow by implementing effective safety training solutions that maximize workforce health and minimize HR costs. Our team of certified health and safety experts has consistently delivered prompt, relevant, and cost-effective safety solutions to Texas businesses for over ten years. We look forward to discussing how we can help with your organization’s safety requirements. Explore our website for more information relating to courses such as:
- AED, CPR & First Aid Training
- Construction Ergonomics Training
- OSHA Forklift Operator Training
- Scaffolding Training
- OSHA 30 General Industry Training
Contact us online today or call us at (832) 290-7296 to schedule your training!
Tags: safety consultant, safety training, workplace safety
