Health and Wellness
Seven Strategies for Preventing Workplace Injuries and Diseases
Numerous professions around the world are deemed hazardous. Even though sometimes the profession itself is not dangerous, a dangerous working environment can pose an equal threat to a worker’s life.
According to the annual statistics provided by the Health and Safety Executive, around 441,000 working people sustained non-fatal injuries at work in 2020/21. While according to BLS’s data, about 4,746 fatal work injuries occurred in the U.S in 2020.
This shows that the organizations have a long way to go in making their working environment a hundred percent secure. Naturally, it is almost impossible to avoid accidents; however, employers can implement helpful strategies such as the ones below to prevent potential workplace injuries.
- Properly train staff and management:
One of the most critical aspects of ensuring safety measures in the workplace is to have the staff follow safety measures and protocols. The easiest way to achieve safety standards is to train and educate the entire staff about safety awareness.
Proper safety training is vital for new hires as they must be pushed towards cultivating a cautious yet protective working environment. Employers should hold monthly or annual safety training programs and educate the staff about the current safety protocols.
It would also help to have a healthy discussion about improvising the current safety plan. One of the most crucial elements of safety training is educating them about potential workplace hazards and diseases and what products and materials can cause them.
- Invest in a workplace injury prevention program:
Every employer’s legal duty is to have adequate and practical safety and health policy in check. The safety policy should address everything from workplace hazards to even providing lawsuit information in case of a workplace injury.
Every employee’s the right to know about the kind of environment they are going to work in, the potential hazards they can face, and what policies are there to compensate in case of an injury.
An effective prevention program is a foundation for a safe work environment, even to address risky behavior.
Having a wellness program instigates trust among employees and encourages them to participate in making their workplace injury-free actively.
When developing safety programs, they should focus on hazard control, management, training, program evaluation, and hazard assessment.
- Provide the proper safety equipment:
The current coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of Personal Protection Equipment to prevent the spread of disease. Therefore, employers must ensure that all the necessary PPE is readily available to all the workers and that they are being used properly.
For instance, masks, air-purifying respirators, and safety goggles are essential for working around hazardous chemicals and fumes. Employers must cultivate an atmosphere where workers are encouraged to follow safety standards and avoid risky behavior.
It would also help if employers distributed detailed SOPs about using PPE and even conducted frequent sessions.
- Effectively communicate safety policy:
Effective communication is the most critical aspect of every organization or company. Without frequent and effective communication, employers cannot prevent workplace injuries and control hazards.
A sound communication system can prevent several workplace injuries and diseases where employees can quickly receive medical assistance while adhering to company procedures.
This system should also be responsible for sharing safety policies and training programs with employees and educating them about taking necessary steps when faced with an emergency.
Every employer’s legal responsibility is to communicate crucial information like worker’s compensation coverage, dealing with fatal injuries, medical treatment, and financial support.
- Regular inspection and maintenance:
Even though it’s almost impossible to eradicate working hazards in lines of work like manufacturing, construction, etc., they are inevitable to some extent.
In companies with tons of moving parts and machinery, a regular and thorough inspection can reduce the risk of accidents significantly.
Performing regular inspections and maintenance is one of the best steps towards securing the working environment. Every machine and equipment down to the last wire should have a safety check and immediately be replaced if found unsafe.
Employers willing to put their workers in danger just for saving a few bucks on replacing parts can lose thousands in compensation if an injury occurs.
Every company should have strict inspection and maintenance protocols to remove hazards before they become a potential risk.
- Risk assessment and management:
Active prevention and risk assessment are valuable preventive strategies for workplace injuries. The best way to avoid hazards is to remove the risk.
Employers can do that by effectively assessing threats in the workplace. Accident prevention is pivotal in mitigating risks that can lead to potential injuries and illnesses.
Employers should take a risk management approach and understand the dangers in the workplace instead of waiting till an active hazard is revealed due to an accident or injury.
It would also help if employers used the risk management opportunity to review and analyze the current safety policies and protocols. It is crucial to check your organization’s safety standards to reduce workplace injuries further.
- Record all injuries and illnesses:
There’s no better teacher than in your past. Not only for improving the working conditions, but employers are also legally required to report workplace-related injuries and incidents correctly. Companies are required to report:
- Specific industrial diseases
- Accidents occurred on-site, which results in the injury of a non-employee who is then taken to a hospital
- Work-related injuries and fatalities
- Incidents of dangerous occurrences
- Work-related accidents that result in an employee sustaining severe injuries and is unable to work for more than seven consecutive days
Keeping detailed records of workplace injuries and diseases will also help employers review their safety policies. They can assess their current safety standards and work towards preventing the same accidents.
Conclusion:
Accidents are nature’s freaks as they can happen anytime and anywhere, even when you have safety protocols in place. However, that does not mean that companies should ease their efforts in preventing workplace injuries and illnesses.
Employers should have strict policies and assessments to avoid circumstances leading to workplace hazards.
The above strategies have proven to be highly effective in helping organizations prevent workplace fatalities and encouraging an environment free from risky behavior, risks, and inadequate safety.
Seven Strategies for Preventing Workplace Injuries and Diseases; I still have been wearing my mask every where that I go outside of my home. Until we are completley done will Covid and all the variants to come, I will continue to wear a mask. I do not want to get sick!