When an entrepreneur starts a business, there are a lot of moving parts to consider. As a result, general health and safety to prevent workplace injuries sometimes get put on the backburner.
Whether you’re opening a franchised restaurant, or creating an innovative startup, preventing workplace injuries starts on day one. Here are six tips for preventing workplace injuries and keeping you and your employees safe.
Know Your Compliance Regulations
Entrepreneurs should know what’s expected of them regarding compliance and regulations before anyone steps foot through the door. In every workplace, there are basic health and safety regulations to follow. The more nuanced the industry— construction and manufacturing, for example— the more complex the requirements.
Learning about the compliance and regulations regarding your business safety requirements should be an integral step in the initial planning process. Don’t hesitate to reach out to local agencies to ensure you understand what’s expected.
Focus on Holistic Safety and Wellness
Safety and wellness aren’t just about making sure there’s no water on the floor; it’s also about keeping employees alert and focused. Taking a holistic approach to safety and wellness will help prevent human errors for which your company could be found liable.
For example, it’s up to the employer to watch out for signs of burnout and ensure that people are getting the time to rest and recharge. Catastrophic workplace accidents like those that caused the Challenger explosion and the Exxon oil spill have been tied to employee exhaustion.
Think outside the obvious concerns when considering workplace safety and wellness.
Provide Adequate Equipment
Many workplace accidents are entirely preventable. Common causes of accidents include inadequate safety gear or defective equipment. In these situations, the employer is liable for the injury or death that occurs.
Give your employees what they need to stay safe and healthy on the job. Depending on the nature of your work, this could be anything from an ergonomic chair to hardhats and harnesses.
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Prioritize your employees’ safety and health 🚑👨⚕️ Learn how to manage risks and create a secure work environment! 🌟
Create and Enforce a Health and Safety Policy
Creating a safety policy can clarify any questions or confusion that people might have regarding what’s expected of them. In a construction setting, for example, workers on the roof might be required to wear a harness at all times.
A policy also provides a framework for disciplinary practices. If you have a worker who continuously goes on the roof without a harness, it’s your job to enforce the policy and reprimand them appropriately. Remember that someone who fails to follow the rules isn’t just putting themselves at risk, but also their coworkers and the business.
Hire a Health and Safety Consultant
Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know. Hiring a health and safety consultant to audit your business can flag any potential oversights in your health and safety policy. These individuals are trained to look at a workplace from various angles and make recommendations based on their experience.
For example, a consultant in a restaurant might notice that cooks are putting sharp knives in water to soak. This creates the potential for a serious laceration if someone unknowingly reaches in. Highlighting this issue and offering corrective suggestions prevents a potentially serious injury.
Cultivate an Empowered Culture
Finally, it’s vital to cultivate an empowered culture where people feel comfortable raising concerns and asking questions. Create a workspace that encourages your employees to take some accountability for their safety and speak up when they see a risk.
It’s worth adding private and anonymous channels for employee reporting so that they feel comfortable discussing issues without being targeted after the fact.
Workplace safety is a continuous effort that’s meant to be shared by everyone on the team. By keeping safety top of mind and enforcing the policies you put in place, you’ll help prevent tragedies and provide a safe environment.
