Workplace safety should be a top priority for companies across all industries. A safe workplace fosters productivity and performance, and employers need to find new ways to keep their workforce healthy and safe.
Businesses can no longer underestimate the importance of health and safety in work settings. Besides the fact that the law requires it, it’s part and parcel of enhancing the retention rate to ensure that workers aren’t at risk of suffering injuries due to their work.
No matter the sector you’re operating in, there are several health and safety challenges for the individuals who work or visit your headquarters. That’s why all nations have agencies tasked with developing workplace health, safety, and security regulations. Good safety regulations stimulate your employees to put more effort into completing their tasks successfully and supporting corporate success. It takes common effort to keep a company productive.
This blog discusses the paramountcy of workplace safety and lists some practises that could help you create a safe work setting for your team.
How should we define workplace safety?
Before discussing the practises you must adopt to improve workplace safety, let’s find out how experts define occupational health and safety.
Occupational health and safety, also known as safety of workers, or worker safety, bears upon the provision of a safe working setting, safe procedures, policies, and equipment to guarantee workers’ health and safety. Over the last two years, workplace safety has become a priority for companies due to the emergence of the pandemic that triggered remote and hybrid work settings.
A survey from The Hartford Financial Services Group revealed that 58% of middle-class families have a member who has suffered workplace injuries requiring medical treatment. Employers have a legal, financial, and moral obligation to provide their staff with safe working conditions.
Let’s find out why it’s crucial to keep the workplace safe
Occupational health and safety have a critical impact on companies’ KPIs. Specialists state that safer workplaces deal with fewer accidents, resulting in lower occupational health costs, increased employee satisfaction and retention, less retraining time, and less worker downtime.
Let’s find out why you need to focus your efforts on enhancing workplace safety.
Positive brand reputation
If you neglect to invest resources into creating a safe workplace, you risk developing a reputation of an unsafe employer that doesn’t pay attention to staff’s needs. This can have a huge impact on your talent attraction efforts and company branding. Also, your business partners, clients, and other shareholders could perceive your company as unprofessional and prefer to work with your competitors. As a result, you’ll struggle to find candidates for your open positions, and your most skilled employees may search for jobs in companies that safeguard their workforce.
Better employee retention
Your workers appreciate a safe and healthy work environment because it proves that you care for their wellbeing. When they feel safe and appreciated at work, they’re more loyal to your company and stay longer within your organisation.
If they don’t feel safe when completing tasks and are always in danger of accidents, they’re more likely to search for another employer.
Increased employee productivity
The workers who feel safe when completing their daily tasks are also more productive than those who’re always afraid; they may experience an accident or have been injured in the past. When people get injured in the workplace, they might develop a certain level of fright and anxiety that prevents them from working as efficiently as before.
Creating a workplace free of accident hazards shows your staff that you’re invested in their work and enables them to do their best.
Protect your business from workplace injury lawsuits
If your employees get injured due to unsafe conditions, they can ask for compensation or sue your company. Companies like Personal Injury Claims Care help injured employees navigate personal injury claims and provide them with information about the steps they should follow to get the compensation they deserve. It’s smarter to prevent accidents than dealing with a workplace injury lawsuit.
Practises to put in place to improve workplace safety
If you run a business where your workers are at high risk of suffering accidents, you need a well-designed and structured safety programme in place. You should be aware of the consequences of neglecting workplace safety and create a functional plan to improve your workers’ wellbeing, safety, and health.
Here are some practises you should integrate into your operations.
– Identify workplace safety hazards. It’s crucial to define, identify, and understand the potential sources of risk in your workplace. The most common work hazards are restricted visibility, hazardous chemicals, ergonomics, mechanical issues, hazardous chemicals, weather-related risks, and dangers of slipping and falling.
– Define safety policies. Now that you know what risks put your workers in danger, it’s the moment to define safety procedures and policies. Offer handbooks to all employees and ensure they know what to do in case of an accident.
– Keep workers aligned to foster a culture of safety. It would help if you focused on creating an employee-centric workplace that provides the staff with a positive experience and fosters a culture of safety. Ensure all your employees, from workers to team leaders and managers, are aligned and on the same page regarding workplace hazards. Don’t neglect the paramountcy of transparent communication.
– Encourage your staff to share their opinions. Developing a safe work setting starts at the top of your company. It’s impossible to encourage your employees to follow health and safety regulations and amplify your messages without your team leaders and managers’ support. Senior leadership should create a transparent environment that facilitates discussions that enable workers to provide recommendations, contribute to workplace safety, and report concerns.
– Designate workplace health and safety representative. Most workers are reluctant to share their concerns with their direct team leaders, so you can appoint a designated health and safety representative to whom your employees can discreetly confide.
Even if each work setting is different and employees’ roles vary, the above practises are generally valid and can improve safety in every workplace, regardless of its specificity.
