Workplace safety has become one of the main priorities for any organization across the globe. Safe workplaces are productive workplaces. A risk-free work environment free from accidents or injuries attracts employees and more visitors. Well-implemented safety measures keep employees safe as well as protect industrial equipment.
This blog post is one thorough guide on what is needed for safety at work and how everyone’s combined efforts including employers, employees, or anyone help create a safe and secure workplace.
What is Workplace Safety?
The provision of a safe work environment, safe equipment, safety policies, and procedures to guarantee a worker’s safety and health, defines safety at work or occupational health and safety.
It has become a major concern for many employers, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is seen that nearly 51,211 non-fatal injuries occur at work, and most of the workers belonging to blue-collar households require medical attention.
What is the Need for Safety at Work?
It is impossible to measure the effects of human causalities. These causalities could cause significant consequences for the workers and their families. Being an employer or a manager, it is your legal duty to have safety control measures that guarantee a worker’s safety.
Safety within any work environment is essential for the well-being of employers and employees alike as well as for a good company reputation within the industry.
The Importance of Keeping a Work Environment Safe & Secure
Let us discuss some key points that highlight the importance of a safe work environment:
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Employee Retention
If there are lower chances of workplace accidents, injuries, or ill health. There is a high chance of employee retention within that workplace. A safe and secure workplace help ensure that employees stay safe during their daily operations and so increases staff retention.
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Employee Productivity
Working in a safe and secure environment automatically boosts employee productivity. Employees who tend to feel safe at work are more productive than those who are unsafe. The feeling of an unsafe workplace increases fear and tension among them and so does they will lack in their performance.
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Business Reputation
Companies who do not invest in the health and safety of their employees and workers rapidly develop a reputation of an unsafe workplace and so does ruin their image within the industry.
Ways to Create a Healthy & Safe Work Environment
Below are the key ways to create a safe work environment:
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Identify Workplace Hazards
The first step of creating a secure work environment is examining your workplace to identify any hazard that can cause severe damage to health. Employers need to define and understand any possible sources of workplace hazards and implement practical approaches to mitigate them.
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Define Safety Policies & Encourage Employees to Follow Them
The second step of the process is to define health and safety policies and procedures in the workplace so that employees and workers are familiar with safe working practices and what is required of them to ensure a safe and effective workplace.
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Provide Health & Safety Training to Employees
Proper staff training is a key component of creating and maintaining a safe and secure workplace for all. Employers must identify their staff training needs and deliver essential training courses that make their job easier for them.
Some of the major courses include industrial health and safety training, COSHH training, IOSH working safely course, IOSH managing safely course, asbestos awareness training, asbestos risk assessment training, fire awareness training, fire risk assessment training, stress risk assessment training, manual handling training, and more.
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Use Protective Safety Equipment
The usage of the right personal protective equipment (PPE) is an effective way to minimize exposure to numerous hazards and injuries. Not doing so can result in severe injury or even death. The PPE must be designed, constructed, and fit comfortably to make sure workers are using it properly and safely.
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Practice the Right Posture
Employers must also need to take into account the right practices to ensure the right body posture while at work. Whether an individual is undertaking a manual handling task or working on a display screen, having the right knowledge of correct posture can help minimize numerous injuries.
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Reduce Workplace Stress
Workplace stress is a common health problem and a major concern in many companies that could cause severe mental health ailments. These issues if not taken care of can result in mental health sickness, sickness absence, chronic stress, or other physical or psychological diseases. Keeping a check on this issue at work is also important.
Bottom Line
Safety and health are integral components of almost every workplace and organization. It is an employer’s legal, moral, and financial responsibility to have effective strategies and approaches that help create a safe and secure workplace all.
Alongside employers, employees also have some responsibilities to maintain a safe workplace. The combined efforts reap positive benefits for everyone.