Accidents at work are more common than we think. Up until now, millions of workers have died due to fatal injuries at the workplace around the world. While there has been a noticeable decline in the number of workplace fatalities, emphasis should be placed on the severity of the incidents, not their frequency. When these accidents don’t result in death, they lead to long-term disability. It’s hopeless to think of the elimination of workplace accidents, at least not in the near future. But it’s possible to make the workplace safe so that fatal accidents and other serious accidents become exceptional occurrences.
Health and safety issues in the workplace can have dire consequences for a business. Examples include but aren’t limited to loss of productivity, low staff morale, decrease in sales, and loss of reputation. It’s the number one thing that all companies dread: having a widespread negative reputation. A tarnished reputation isn’t easy to recover or repair. The incident will be recorded, it will go on the Internet, and you’ll have a bad reputation forever. Gone are the days when the only news sources were newspapers and the evening news. Because of social media, any piece of information goes viral and reaches global proportions in minutes.
In Business, Reputation Plays a Huge Part in The Success of a Company
To attain the highest level of success for your organization, pay close attention to reputation. The beliefs and opinions held about your business should be positive. No matter what you feel your image is or should be, the market will establish its perceived notions about your company. People form judgments based on their experience buying products and services or what they hear about you. In this respect, they rely on their communications with others or the information they find online. The broad agreement is that businesses have to take responsibility – in other words, they play an essential role in building a better society.
A company with a strong reputation does a better job of attracting people. Their customers are loyal and acquire a wider range of products and services. The market is convinced that the firm will deliver sustained earnings and future growth, which explains why it has higher price-earnings and lower costs of capital. It’s crucial to focus your attention on handling the threats to your reputation. It can instantly receive a blowing due to media coverage, a news report, or unethical behavior. If you don’t have a well-respected image, then it’s too late to fix it. After that, no one will believe you.
The Damage to A Business’ Reputation Can Last for Months, Years Even
The negative impact of the accident is felt more by the employee rather than by the employer. They’re forced to bear the financial, physical, and psychological outcomes of the accident. The costs to the employer are salary costs for replacement staff or overtime payments, productivity loss, repair bills, medical and travel expenses, and personal injury compensation. Let’s stop at the last point for a bit. As pointed out by Accident Claims Advice, even if the accident was caused by a colleague’s actions or negligence, the employer is responsible for keeping the workplace safe. The point is that most of the responsibility belongs to the employer.
It’s not just customers who take notice. Health and safety build a reputation with employees and associates. More often than not, health and safety aren’t placed at the top of the agenda, so professionals don’t add real value to the business. When an unfortunate incident takes place, you think about the immediate financial implications, not the long-term reputational effect. Reputational damage betrays investor trust, erodes the customer base, and impacts market capitalization. This is a shame taking into consideration that accidents at work are preventable. A proactive approach is best. Simply put, you should find ways to manage potential risks.
There’s Been an Accident and An Employee’s Been Injured. How Do You Respond?
If a horrific incident occurs, assist anyone affected and get them out of harm’s way. Provide immediate care if you’re qualified to do so; otherwise, call for emergency services. Reach out to employees and ask them not to take pictures or post anything on their social media accounts. The initial response is important but equally important is to carry out a risk assessment to avoid something like this ever happening. The aim is to determine what happened and what corrective action can be taken. The safety measures have to be proportionate to the real risks involved to eliminate, control, or minimize the risk of injury.
Instead of slapping on a band-aid, you should better take concrete steps. For instance, you can invest in cutting-edge technologies. Rapid innovation in technology enables employers to enhance workplace safety in countless ways. Smartwatches can be used to track body temperature, heart rate, respiration, and other physiological measurements. Manufacturing robots can perform repetitive tasks and, most importantly, reduce workplace injuries. They minimize employees’ exposure to falls and other risks. New sites and environments can be created, allowing people to become aware of the dangers before entering new job sites.
Create A Culture That Places Health and Safety at Its Very Core
The way things are done at your business needs to change. The consequences of complacency can be catastrophic – accidents, injuries, illnesses, and even loss of life. Creating a culture that places emphasis on health and safety is an ongoing process. Change starts at the top. You create an organizational culture by the actions you take. After defining a robust set of policies, make sure to let everyone know. They should be widely communicated. Every employee should feel a sense of ownership over organizational results and do what’s necessary to achieve those results. If a process changes or new risks emerge, keep people informed.
If you’re genuinely committed to health and safety, strive for improvement. Aim for constant growth and implement systems for continuous improvement so that your organization will remain consistent in results. Your employees are your most valuable assets. Protect people and your bottom line.
