Creating a Safer Working Environment for Your Employees

Creating a safe work environment is one of the ways that businesses can attract top talent because it shows people that the company actually cares.  This means taking a proactive approach to eliminating conditions that put workers at risk for serious injury and accidents. 

 

People tend to think only of large global companies, or industrial businesses, when it comes to this level of attention to safety.  But almost all companies, even small businesses with few employees, can benefit from employees being able to do their jobs with the peace of mind that they are working safely.

 

Workplace injury is one of the substantial causes of pain and disability in America, so employers who want to have an engaged workforce can actually use workplace safety as a competitive advantage.  In fact, businesses that take the time to operate safely are said to have a higher level of efficiency and productivity.  Thus, in a sense, safer businesses are more profitable businesses. These are strongly compelling reasons for any employer or manager who wants to boost safety, to take the necessary actions to demonstrate that it is a real priority.

 

You can cut down on negligent risk, avoid litigation and simply show an ethical concern for employee well-being by implementing a few best practices:

 

1.       Officially establish safety policies and practices

2.       Provide protective apparel and tools

3.       Talk about safety

 

Officially establish safety policies and practices

One of the first ways to show that you are serious about safety in the workplace is establishing safety policies and practices.  Depending on your industry and the physical setting in which your employees work, these policies and practices may be very simple. If more risk is inherent to your workplace because of the prevalence of machinery, chemicals, or terrain, then company policies and practices may need to be more detailed and extensive to be effective. 

 

The safety policy needs to outline employee safety as a priority, detail what should be done to avoid safety risks, and lay out protocol for what to do in the case of a violation or injury.  You can start with a simple template and tailor it to fit your business. The Infrastructure Health & Safety Association provides helpful workplace safety policy templates for you to get started.

 

Also, observe what actually happens at your organization. If there are particular safety problems, create specific methods for addressing these.  Also, incorporate widely used safety best practices into your orientation and training.

 

For example, a hospital might find that its supply stockroom is prone to slips and falls due to people quickly trying to reach high shelves during medical emergencies. In this hypothetical, the hospital would need to state in its policies that the top shelves are to be reached with provided step up ladders. In its training, the hospital would need to have a designated safety leader actually demonstrate the safest way to access the top stock shelves at all times, no matter how urgent the need.

 

Provide protective apparel and tools

In addition to highlighting safety as a priority, and creating policies and practices, you also want to provide the proper apparel and tools for employees. 

 

High quality uniform apparel will make employees not only look more professional, but they also provide safety protection. This goes beyond long sleeve shirts in cases of chemical exposure or hot food grease, for example.  Or short sleeve shirts for environments with high temperatures. This safety gear can also include safety vests, goggles, shoes and other apparel.  In addition, providing uniforms can increase safety because the integrity of the textile materials is more durable than clothes intended for casual wear. Furthermore, a uniform is a kind of mental and physical cue that tends to put employees in an official safety mindset for work.

 

Talk about safety

Once you have safety incorporated into company practices, and have added apparel and gear that make work safer, don’t forget to make it a regular part of company conversation. Often times, employees decide what is most important based on the attitudes of owners and managers. If you kick off a safety initiative, or include safety protocol in orientation, but never mention it again, people will forget about it.  To make sure safety remains a priority, include it in internal communications calendars or via the medium through which your organization routinely communicates with employees. This way, the importance of safety will not be forgotten and you will succeed in truly creating a safer work environment.