Workplace accidents occur frequently in the U.S. In 2016, nearly 2,700 workers lost their lives on the job. Sometimes, workplace injuries may be the fault of the employer, while other times they may occur due to an employee’s negligence. Nevertheless, it is the employer’s responsibility to take certain precautions to ensure that unnecessary accidents are avoided.
Today we provide three important tips to help prevent accidents from happening at work:
- Workspace: Regardless of what industry you work in, it’s important for the work area to remain clean and tidy to the greatest extent possible. Don’t leave cables running across a hallway, for example, as these could be a tripping hazard. Try to ensure that floors are dry during working hours whenever possible. If a floor is wet, post signs warning about this danger.
- Maintenance: The upkeep of work-related items that people use every day is essential to workplace safety. Regularly inspect and provide maintenance to all machines and work equipment. Frequently check that lights function properly, and replace bulbs immediately when they go out. Limited visibility resulting from inadequate lighting can lead to injury.
- Positive reinforcement:It probably goes without saying that you should train your employees in proper workplace safety. However, ensuring that employees actually carry out their work in a safe way is equally important. Consider actively encouraging employees to exhibit safe behavior. Instead of rewarding employees for high productivity—which may have been achieved by compromising safety—reward employees who exhibit the safe workplace skills they were trained in.
Creating a safe workplace is not just about setting a standard; it’s about actively sustaining—and improving—that standard over the long term.