Every year, employers report millions of workplace injury and accident cases. While it is an unpleasant scenario, it is one that every workplace should prepare for. According to estimates from the ILO, approximately 2.3 million people experience a workplace accident or injury every year. For employers, this results in millions of compensation costs, lost production days, and in some cases, legal action. For the employees, they are left wondering about their steps after an injury at work and what their rights are. For both sides, the key to avoiding this is to be proactive in taking preventative measures. Whether it is implementing a rigorous safety awareness and training program or investing in the right personal protection equipment, here are some steps employers can take to reduce workplace injuries and accidents.
Establish A Well Documented Accident And Injury Protocol
It also helps if your employees and team managers to be familiar with the accident and injury protocol. If you don’t have a workplace accident and injury protocol in place as yet, begin drafting one by following the steps of reporting an accident at work. The workplace injury reporting requirements by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are a good guideline for businesses new to the process. The handbook showcases what information needs to be supplied to OSHA when reporting a workplace accident and the timelines. For instance, employers are required to document the accident using OSHA Form 300 within 7 days of the incident. It also helps to extend your planning to include the possibility of any legal action being filed and your options. A good idea is to tailor this to your state of operation and industry. If you operate in one of the states where the nonfatal injury rates are above the national average like Maine or California, this is doubly important. While states like New Jersey and Texas have workplace injury rates below the national average, companies working in the construction industry in Texas can still benefit from consulting an Austin law firmto prepare for common workplace cases that are filed such as company negligence.
Run Regular Training And Refreshers For Safety Training
Another key part of making this successful is ensuring that key safety and reporting personnel are aware of this protocol. It is also imperative that employers commit to conducting regular on-the-job safety training. Only, 87% of workers in companies with fewer than 10 employees feel that safety and health in the workplace are a top priority. While safety training does not completely remove the chances of an accident happening in the workplace, it does dramatically reduce its occurrence, improve workers’ hazard awareness and reduce employee turnover in the company. Remember to include safety training on the use of personal protection equipment as well as current workplace safety regulations enforced by OSHA or MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration). Finally, aim to conduct safety training refresher courses at least once a year and make it a mandatory requirement for new starters.
Invest In Personal Injury Protection Equipment
An important step to preventing workplace injuries and accidents is to understand what the most common injuries are. It is also helpful to assess what workplace injuries are most applicable to your workplace. For instance, some of the most common workplace injuries include slips and falls, vehicle accidents, and, fires. Narrowing this list down to the injuries that are most likely to occur in your workplace means you can then focus your safety training and preventative measures on these. Ensuring workspaces are free from hazards such as debris can reduce the chances of slips or falls in the workplace.
Being proactive about preventing workplace accidents and injuries is not just about complying with relevant work safety guidelines, but it can also ensure your company maintains an optimal productivity rate and retains a happy, healthy workforce. While employers may not be able to completely reduce them, taking these proactive actions is certainly a step in the right direction.
