3 Proven Approaches To Minimize Workplace Injury And Fatalities In Your Organization

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Business managers have a responsibility to ensure safe working environments for employees. While some industries are more prone to workplace accidents, they can occur across all industries and affect people who spend the whole day in the office.

Statistics show that about 2.7 million Americans are victims of workplace-related injuries annually. While some injuries can prevent victims from resuming their roles, businesses can take proactive measures to ensure employee safety.

1. Perform Regular Safety Inspections

An organizational-wide risk assessment helps you identify health hazards and potential injury causes. Consider the tasks, equipment, workload, and training requirements. Most importantly, pay attention to risks faced by older, disabled, and pregnant employees. You can also open communication so that employees can reach out whenever they feel certain tasks expose them to potential risks.

Specific safety procedures should accompany each potential risk in your assessment. However, involving the team members performing the tasks is vital since they understand the process and its risks. If you already have safety procedures, look for ways to protect your employees better.

2. Provide Awareness and Training

Employers should cultivate strict safety standards among team members and management staff. Ideally, you can educate employees about the benefits of sticking with safety measures when performing their duties. In addition, supplemental education in body mechanics can help minimize strain and injuries to ensure employees are safe when moving or lifting heavy objects.

Besides providing safety handbooks, continuous training, and education go a long way. New employees should go through safety protocols during induction sessions to ensure they understand their roles and safety responsibilities.

Regardless of safety measures in place, accidents can be unavoidable. Therefore, ensuring your employees know how to handle and respond to accidents is critical. Since you may not have nearby medical staff to address severe emergencies, investing in basic life support at Newcastle training can come in handy. 

These courses provide the necessary training and education to save victims in desperate health situations. Moreover, you don't need a previous medical background to learn the basics. If you can have one or two employees with advanced knowledge, you'll be prepared to handle emergencies and avoid fatalities.

3. Pre-employment Physicals for Specific Positions

Most companies require employees in some roles to undergo mental and physical health assessments before onboarding. This procedure ensures employees are fit to perform their duties. For instance, pilots complete hearing and vision tests during the recruitment process, while truck drivers undergo regular health screening.

Pre-employment health assessments may include medical history reviews, cardiac stress tests, lung capacity tests, and drug screening.

Most employees in labor-intensive positions may require annual examinations. Some tasks are quite demanding and hence unsuitable for people with physical limitations. For instance, someone with recurrent back problems may be unfit for some tasks in the construction industry. While regular assessments may seem intrusive, they ensure employees aren't exposed to health or injury risks.

Endnote

Workplace injuries cut across multiple industries, and organizations strive to implement appropriate safety measures. However, regardless of your safety measures, accidents can still happen. But your preparedness can determine the injury severity. Therefore, it's essential to ensure your organization is ready to prevent and deal with emergencies from potential accidents.

This is a guest blog entry.