5 Ways to Improve Overall Safety in the Workplace

In addition to the human costs, which can be devastating, the financial costs of workplace injuries can seriously impact a company. Each year, American companies lose billions of dollars due to injury and illness.

If you want to keep a lid on workplace injuries, you should make workplace safety a major component of your company’s culture. This starts by gaining a deep understanding of the root causes of your most likely and potentially most dangerous workplace injuries and includes a robust, open dialogue around these safety challenges.

Below are a few tips on how to improve the overall safety in your workplace.

Bring in Experts

Safety and occupational health experts can give your company helpful guidance regarding injury prevention. These professionals can help to reduce workplace injuries by assessing your company’s facilities and pinpointing areas where there’s a good possibility for injury.

Workplace safety experts can also help with ergonomics to reduce repetitive motion injuries and develop operational assessments to ensure the right hiring decisions are made for physically challenging jobs. These experts can also assist with return-to-work programs, for employees coming back from a major injury or illness.

Perform Regular Safety Audits

Regularly evaluating the workplace for prospective safety hazards in both equipment and work processes is crucial to maintaining a safe workplace. As soon as you have a clear picture of your main workplace safety issues, you are well-positioned to engage your staff members and enlist their help to create a safer workplace.

Reinforce Good Housekeeping Habits

A cluttered workplace can result in unnecessary safety incidents. Ensure materials are stored safely, and spills are cleaned up swiftly. Perform periodic inspections to identify prospective hazards like stray electrical cords and unorganized tools.

It’s also critical for all equipment to be regularly checked, cleaned, and maintained, as equipment failures are one of the biggest hazards in a typical workplace.

Hire People with a Safety-First Mindset

Workplace safety begins with hiring qualified individuals who put safety above all else. A safe workplace must have staff members who adhere to safety guidelines and do their job as outlined by established procedures.

Some companies partner with physical therapists to investigate the physical demands of each role in the organization and develop precise job descriptions that are designed to attract best-fit job seekers for open positions.

Prioritize Strong Communication

Regular meetings should review safety regulations, provide updates, and include discussions that keep workplace safety top of mind. Encourage your staff members to come forward with all health and safety concerns. Your employees are in the best position to identify possible areas of concern that may have gone noticed. Some companies designate a head safety officer who communicates concerns discovered by staff members to leadership.

Hazard signs and labels are an inexpensive and effective way to rapidly communicate critical safety information. They’re supposed to be straightforward and often rely on simple pictures to communicate both hazards and safety procedures.

We Can Help Your Company Identify Safety-First Job Candidates

At Career Concepts, we specialize in connecting our client to job seekers who fully embrace the idea of ‘safety first’. Please contact us today to find out how we can be our organization’s partner in safety.