As an employer, you are obligated to not only pay your employees duly. You also need to keep them safe and healthy under your wing. A safe work environment is necessary. It keeps everyone from harm. It also highly benefits your company as it drives productivity and motivation within the workforce.
In fact, the World Health Organization found out that work-related health problems lead to an economic loss of about 4 percent to 6 percent of GDP in most countries. However, research shows that workplace health efforts may bring down the number of sick leaves and absenteeism among companies by 27 percent. Meanwhile, it lowers health care costs by 26 percent.
While your employees know how to look out for themselves at work, it is your responsibility to have safety measures set in place to protect them at all costs.
Establish the Right Goals Regarding Employee Safety
Before anything else, make sure to identify the company’s goals when it comes to employee health and safety. To give you a clearer, more concise result, take your team’s feedback and sentiments into consideration. This way, you can ensure that your future initiatives will not be put to waste. You may even wish to consult with safety experts, such as Safety Management Group who have the ability and experience necessary to assess, upgrade, streamline, and manage your safety program for you. This will give you the time needed to concentrate on other areas of the business.
Once you have established your goals, don’t forget to relay them to both old and new employees. Your staff should be able to know how to identify an unsafe work situation and when to report it to higher authorities. Aside from using all forms of communication to keep your workplace safe, you may also launch training sessions on workplace safety. Spice it up by making these sessions fun and interactive, and perhaps include some Online Safety Training too. This should make the information easy to retain.
Identify Workplace Safety Hazards and Work from There
Before devising a plan on workplace safety, know which safety hazards are present in your line of work. Then, start from there.
For instance, construction companies are always on their toes when it comes to employee safety. After all, they expose their employees to several life-threatening risks. These risks commonly include working at height, electrical dangers, and forklift-related dangers. Meanwhile, factories need to ensure that their workers are safe from the harmful effects of chemicals. Those who seem to be working safely in their desks need to watch out for certain potential risks. Even a simple error such as poor housekeeping can get them in trouble. Having a good employer health insurance is really key to make sure both you and the employees are covered in case of any issues.
Once you know what may compromise your team’s safety, you will learn how to avoid these safety hazards easily. You can also find more effective ways to eliminate them altogether.
Recognize and Reward Safety Compliance
Giving out incentives to employees who have made the least number of safety blunders is not just the only way to recognize these individuals’ efforts. A better way would be to commend staffs who constantly follow a safety measure. A simple personal “Thanks” could mean a lot, especially if this comes directly from the manager.
However, you can always step up the game by handing out tangible incentives to those who religiously follow workplace safety rules. You may have been urging your employees to avail the regular checkups offered by your company. One appreciable thing you can give to them is to enhance employee care by having a ready to use oxygen sensor in your clinic, especially when in need.
After all, there are two things that most employees love: being appreciated and receiving free stuff.
Encourage Your Employees to Take Breaks
Employees appreciate even the short 15-minute breaks in the morning and in the afternoon. Aside from keeping your workers safe, looking after their overall health and well-being is also imperative. All the workload can dull the mind and dampen our moods. Emphasize the importance of break times. Implement them as needed. These ways should lift their spirits up and boost their morale.
These workplace safety initiatives, when done correctly, can benefit your company in the long run. Remember: a safe and healthy employee is a happy one. A happy employee can help your organization to reach the heights of success.
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