Workplace accidents happen more commonly than you might believe. Many hazards and risks are present in your workplace, especially if your usual work relates to fire, water, rain, heights, chemicals, etc. A good employer ensures that their workplace has a safe and hazard-free environment for its workers. This can be done by taking preventive measures such as providing the staff with quality workwear such as Helly Hansen Workwear, training them on how to properly do their job to minimize the risks, making the workplace environment a safe space for the workers to voice their discomfort and opinions, etc. Even if, after following all the preventive measures, any of the workers face injury, there should be a proper practiced procedure to deal with it.
There are several very fundamental and common activities that you can take to avoid accidents in the workplace. These pointers can assist you and your employees in helping to avoid accidents:
1. Pay Attention
Paying attention to your surroundings is what is going to save you the most from any kind of accident. You must remain alert and awake when on the job. Not paying attention while doing your work can hurt both you and others. Being an active listener can save you from a lot of trouble. If your workplace arranges emergency training, then you need to participate in emergency drills so that you’ll have an idea of how to manage when an actual workplace emergency arises.
2. Wear Protective Workwear
When working in an environment where you can accidentally injure yourself, you need to wear proper protective workwear. A proper guideline and training session should be arranged for the worker to teach them how to properly use workwear to minimize the chances of accidents and to understand what kind of workwear is suitable for which kind of environment.
For example, In industries where workers work with naked flames, chemicals and electronics items present dangers of fire. Flame-resistant apparel is not only for firefighters but also for people working as lab technicians and utility workers. All workers in immediate contact with fire risks should have flame-resistant workwear. Similarly, if your work involves you working with water or in the rain, then you need to don the appropriate rain gear. The yellow rain jacket is the statement rain look. When working in the rain, workers should always wear proper raincoats, non-slippery shoes, and use textured handle tools.
3. Have Staffing Levels
It is important to have proper staffing levels in the company to avoid overworking your employees. It is observed that when workers have to work for long hours in an exhausted state, they are more susceptible to being involved in accidents. Tired and overworked employees also reduce the output. Thus, the organizations need to hire extra, part-time staff, so the workers don’t suffer from exhaustion.
4. Minimize Fire Hazards
Most of the workplace environment has fire hazards. This has led to all buildings containing smoke detectors, but some workplaces may also need to detect gas. A Honeywell Gasalert MicroClip XL 4-gas detector is used in workplaces where toxic or flammable gas can leak into the air and possible ignite. The only solution to provide proper workplace fire safety is by pointing out the risks and eliminating them before they become a big problem. Many elements can cause fire damage. Here are some of the elements that can cause a fire:
- Faulty electric wiring is the major reason for fire by short circuits. If you see any kind of electrical hazard, immediately report it.
- Do not use too much machinery at a time to avoid the circuit from being overloaded.
- Do not use damaged electric sockets or frayed cords. If you notice damaged outlets or cords, immediately throw them off and install new ones.
5. Mark Emergency Exits
Every workplace should have a proper emergency exit system. These exits must be properly maintained and remain empty at all times. Each worker of the company should know the location of emergency exits. It is also crucial to guarantee that all the emergency exits must be properly marked and their signs should be posted in the corridors.
6. Employees Education and Training
Employees’ training and education are essential to maintaining a safe workplace environment. All the workers should be educated about the importance of following the safety guidelines of the company. Proper training of the staff ensures the reduction of accidental workplace injuries. If the workers need to lift and move the heavy stuff, they should be properly trained in body mechanics to avoid a strain injury. The member of the staff should be able to communicate with the supervisor without hesitation about the possible risks of the environment.
Conclusion
Workplace injuries can be deadly and lifelong. Therefore it’s important to follow safety tips to avoid any serious injury. Wearing protective workwear such as proper fishing rain gear in rain or fire-resistant clothing while working with flames ensures that you remain safe while performing your job. We hope this article has helped you to learn some essential safety tips to avoid workplace accidents.