Maintain Workplace Safety

Maintaining a safe workplace is crucial for the health of your employees and the success of your business. To create a safe work environment, start by assessing your company’s needs and creating a detailed workplace safety policy. Communicate with your coworkers and employees to make sure everyone understands the policies and is on the same page. You’ll also need to identify and deal with any workplace hazards or Reduce-Accidents-in-the-Workplace as they occur.

Steps

Developing a Safety Plan

1. Research your area’s workplace safety laws. Many countries enforce workplace safety laws and regulations at the national and local level. To make sure your business is in compliance, reach out to the government organization in charge of workplace safety standards in your area. They can provide information about how to meet standards for your specific industry.
   • For example, if you’re located in the U.S., check with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). They provide detailed information about safety laws and regulations for different industries on their website: https://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html.
   • Your local department of labor might also provide information and resources on workplace safety laws in your state, province, or municipality.
2. Identify the types of hazards that are most common in your business. Potential workplace hazards vary greatly from one industry to another. When developing a safety plan, consider the specific needs of your business. {{greenbox:Tip: Every industry has its own set of safety standards and regulations. Research the specific guidelines for your industry (for example, “Lumber and Building Material Dealer”) before attempting to develop a safety plan for your business.}}
   • For example, in a low-risk work environment (such as an administrative office), you might just need to address the most basic safety concerns, like following your local fire code.
   • If your employees work with dangerous equipment or hazardous chemicals, you will need to have more complex safety procedures and policies in place.
   • Moreover, make sure all employees wear proper safety equipment like boots, gloves, goggles, helmets, masks and hazmat suits.
3. Meet with other members of your team to discuss safety topics. Coming up with a good workplace safety plan is a team effort. Get together with your colleagues and employees to brainstorm ideas and develop strategies for addressing your company’s safety concerns.
   • You don’t necessarily need to deal with all possible safety issues at once. Instead, you might consider bringing up a different safety topic at each meeting.
   • For example, you might have a meeting to talk about fire safety, and another to address equipment maintenance or safe procedures for handling hazardous chemicals.
4. Write a policy detailing how you plan to address safety concerns. Once you have an idea of which safety issues you need to address, write up a detailed plan for how you will deal with them. Your policy should include information such as:
   • A statement of your commitment to the health and safety of your employees.
   • Specific procedures you plan to put in place, such as carrying out inspections, implementing training and safety drills, and providing appropriate safety equipment (such as hard hats, fume hoods, or fire extinguishers).
   • A breakdown of the resources you will need to put your policies in place, including time, money, and personnel.
   • Make maintenance agenda for inspecting all safety equipment like fire extinguishers, which have a expire date.
5. Get help from a consultant or other safety professional if necessary. If you have a small business and can’t afford to have a dedicated safety director on staff, or if you need to deal with particularly complex issues, you may need to bring in outside help. Consider working with a safety consultant, checking with your employees’ compensation insurance provider, or getting help from a professional organization in your industry.
   • Your local or national government may also provide free workplace safety services and resources. Call them to find out if they can help you put an effective safety system in place.

Getting Your Employees Involved

1. Explain your safety policies to your current and potential employees. It’s important for employees to understand your safety rules and procedures. Explain the rules and your expectations when you hire new employees. If you put new policies into practice, make your current employees aware of the changes.
   • Ideally, you should include information about your health and safety policies in your job descriptions so that potential employees are aware of them ahead of time.
2. Make written safety rules and procedures available to everyone in your workplace. In addition to offering verbal explanations, provide detailed written explanations of your safety policies and procedures. You can provide your employees with one or more safety manuals, and also post important safety information around the workplace where everyone can see it.
   • For example, you might provide all employees with a detailed fire evacuation plan.
   • Post signs reminding employees of basic safety rules. For example, set up prominent “Hard Hat Area” signs in places where workers need to protect their heads.
3. Have training sessions to familiarize your employees with safety procedures. In addition to providing written and verbal explanations of your safety policies, offer training sessions to ensure that your employees know how to enact and follow those policies. For example, you might:
   • Hold regular safety drills for emergencies like earthquake, typhoon and fire.
   • Provide hands-on training sessions, especially for using and handling hazardous equipment and substances.
   • Ask your employees to complete safety courses or seminars in-person or online.
4. Ask your employees for feedback about potential hazards and solutions. In many cases, your employees will know more about the dangers they face on the job than you do. Invite them to review your safety policies and make suggestions on how to improve them. Listen to any concerns they bring up and talk about how you plan to address them.
   • For example, if your employees tell you that they’re dealing with irritating fumes in their work area, talk to them about solutions like installing a new ventilation system or investing in respirator masks.
5. Hold your employees accountable for following safety regulations. Set clear consequences for violating safety procedures, and recognize employees who follow proper procedures and contribute to safety in the workplace. You should also set a good example by following your own safety regulations at all times.{{greenbox:Warning: Don’t use incentive programs that reward or encourage a lack of reporting. For example, if you reward your employees on the basis of going a certain number of days without an accident, they might be tempted to cover up incidents so they don’t lose the chance to get a reward.}}
   • Some companies offer workplace safety incentive programs. For example, you might reward employees who report safety incidents with a free lunch.

Identifying and Dealing with Hazards

1. Keep and review records of accidents, injuries, and illnesses. Any time there’s a safety incident at your workplace, make a record of it. Keeping detailed records will help you identify specific problems so that you can work on creating effective solutions.
   • For example, if someone is injured while using a piece of company equipment, record the nature of the injury, when and how it happened, and what safety procedures the employee was following.
   • Have a clear system in place for recording and reporting incidents so that it’s easier for your employees to alert you if something goes wrong.
2. Respond to any safety reports immediately. If you get a report on illness, injury, accident, or close call, don’t just file it away and wait to address it later. File a detailed report of the incident and talk to any employees who witnessed the incident or were directly involved. Meet with your employees and coworkers to discuss the best way to deal with the problem and prevent future incidents.
   • If your employee is seriously injured, call emergency services and provide first aid.
   • If an employee is injured or becomes ill on the job, they may file a claim with their worker’s compensation insurer. Be prepared to cooperate with the insurer and provide any requested documentation.
3. Carry out frequent inspections of your facilities and equipment. Old, run-down, or malfunctioning equipment can put your workers at risk. Carry out regular inspections or bring in an outside inspector or safety consultant to check that your equipment is in good repair and that everyone is following appropriate safety procedures.
   • Create a detailed diagram of your workplace so that you can keep track of which areas need to be inspected.
   • Maintain an inspection checklist so you don’t overlook anything.
   • Keep an inventory of equipment and any hazardous materials that might be present in your workplace. Knowing what you have will make inspections easier and more efficient.
   • Depending on the nature of your workplace, you may need to do basic safety inspections as often as once a day.
4. Make sure your facilities are clean and sanitary. In addition to keeping your workplace and equipment in good repair, it’s also important for the health of your employees to maintain a clean environment. Clean your work areas regularly and provide appropriate garbage disposal containers. Make sure your employees always have access to clean toilets, sinks, and drinking water.
   • Additionally, you should provide a hygienic area where your employees can rest and eat or prepare food.
   • If your employees will be getting dirty or working with hazardous materials on the job, provide appropriate facilities for washing up and changing clothes (such as a shower and locker room).
   • Make sure your employees always have access to soap or hand sanitizers, especially in healthcare or food preparation settings.
5. Update your safety procedures and equipment if necessary. Regularly review your safety policies and procedures and be prepared to improve them if necessary. If your equipment or facilities become worn out or damaged, replace or repair them promptly. Notify your employees of any changes and train them to follow any new procedures as necessary.{{greenbox:Tip: Implement an annual review of your workplace safety plan and review your safety data for the past year so that you can spot any areas that need improvement. If accidents are happening frequently, you may need to review your policies more often.}}
   • If you make any changes, make sure to document them and update your written safety materials.

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