Preventing Workplace Injuries for Everyone’s Sake

professional business woman supervising construction site with hard hat protection at workYou have a successful business and you’re on track to have another prosperous year. However, in many cases, there are hidden dangers lurking in the workplace that can cause harm to an employee and end up costing you everything you’ve worked hard to achieve.

Protective Gear

There are many trades that require you to wear some type of safety gear while you are on the job. Make sure that every employee understands the necessity for following the safety regulations. For example, if you work in construction, you need to wear a hardhat, gloves, earplugs and safety shoes. On the other hand, if you work in the pharmaceutical industry, you need to wear goggles and protective clothing.

Faulty Equipment

Machinery can and will at some point malfunction. If your employees work with heavy-duty machines on a daily basis it’s important to have your equipment serviced as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you have outdated equipment start to it slowly. Another way to avoid a serious injury is to encourage your employees to come forward if any machine starts to show signs of a breakdown.

Preventing Slips and Falls

Slips and falls are one of the most common injuries sustained by employees. According to personal injury attorneys Schwarzapfel Lawyers in Manhattan NY, businesses need to be responsible. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to reduce this risk. A good way to prevent an injury from occurring is to keep walkways and hallways clear of debris, keep storage areas brightly lit and install non-slip mats throughout the building. It’s also important to have your employees involved. Having a safety meeting once or twice each year lets you review the company policies and allows your employees to voice any concerns they may have. Awareness is also critical to the safety of everyone. For instance, if a puddle of water forms at the entrance beyond the mat, someone needs to contact a janitor or the employer quickly so they can mop it up.

The Job Site

A construction site is literally an accident waiting to happen. There’s generally lose supplies, sawdust, nails, and, of course, ladders. Any one of these can pose a serious risk of sustaining an injury. Make sure that your employees take extra care to be aware of their surroundings, collect and remove debris often and, when climbing, have someone else around to secure the ladder.

The 9 to 5 Desk Job

While you may not think sitting at a desk poses any kind of threat to your business, it can and it does. Sitting for long periods of time can cause hardship on the body. Typing can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Lifting stacks of heavy files or lifting boxes can cause a serious back injury. A way to avoid this is to have your employees take periodic breaks for 15 minutes, to get up and stretch and give their fingers a rest. As for lifting, teach employees in your safety classes the proper way to lift boxes.

Restaurants and Kitchens

When you work in the restaurant business, time is money. Often your employees are pulled in many directions at the same time. This can lead to a serious injury caused by a slip and fall, a burn, or even a laceration from preparing food. While moving quickly may give customers a reason to return, there’s such a thing as moving too fast. It’s in your best interest to make sure that every employee knows the possible hazards and how to avoid them.
You’ve taken your business from start-up company to a player in the field. So, it’s only natural that, when it comes to your business, you want to do everything in your power to make sure that it runs smoothly. One way to keep things moving in an upward direction is to address anything that may cause a personal injury to an employee. Otherwise, you’ll see your hard-earned profits go out the door.

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