Workplace safety is based on policies and practice guidelines. But in order to create a safe work environment it is essential for people to communicate and know the safety standards. It does not matter if the subject of discussion is the site of work or the indoors of a business office, the safety practice guidelines have to be followed. Companies should encourage their employees to identify the unsafe conditions and actions, because improvement cannot be achieved in other way. Companies should not neglect workplace safety, both small and large firms should follow certain safety regulations, and offer their staff training on what steps they have to follow in order to prevent workplace accidents.In case there are businesses that do not fully understand workplace safety regulations, they should inform themselves of what it implies.
For example, if there is a construction company the most of its workforce does on site work, and this means that there are great chances accidents to happen when they lift or handle heavy equipment or materials, or when they work at height. But if there is an IT company the employees will not work outdoors, but they can suffer workplace accidents caused by unsecured wires and unsafe equipment.
Workplace safety regulations may seem simple in their nature, but they are complex when considering that they can prevent accidents and even death.
The headquarters of companies need to be proofed against accidents
It is crucial for companies to have their buildings inspected by an expert at determined periods of time. The experts will check if the buildings are safe and they will recommend improvements for the exterior pathways, stairways and for the interior of the buildings. It is necessary to add rubber and ribbed padding on the ends of the stairway steps, and to cover the slippery floor with mats. All these precautions have the role to keep the employees safe and to prevent possible accidents.
Employees should wear uniforms
In case the company is specialised in offering construction, shipping, or other similar services, then it is required the employees to wear uniforms. Fire-fighters wear their gear for a reason, so the risks of the job should be reviewed and the uniforms should be made in accordance. There are jobs that require only uniform wear, but there are others that imply the use of protective gear. A construction company should offer their employees hard hats, and make sure that they are wearing them at all times when they are on the job site. A company that has employees who are working in laboratories should invest in safety goggles.
Alongside with the usage of uniforms, it is crucial the work site to feature signs that inform on the possible dangers. On every site there should be one or more supervisors, who should educate the workers on how they have to wear the uniform and gear correctly, and to check if the regulations are followed. Their role is to check the site from the moment the first employee steps in, until the last person leaves the site.
Everyone should know the health codes
The safety measures start with the signs placed at the entrance in a building or on a site and they continue with the rules the employees must respect. Indicators are essential to keeping the high traffic areas safe. But health code standards are also important, because the persons have to be educated on how to maintain the space clean in case they work in a restaurant, how to use the equipment if they work in a factory, and how to handle substances if they work in a laboratory. Employees have to be trained in how to respect health codes, because the simple proofing of a space is not enough.
Every individual should be aware of the surroundings, no matter if they are working in an office or in outdoor conditions. Hazardous areas are marked, and people have to know what they have to do in order to avoid hazards in their workplace. They should be alert of machinery and the ones who handle the equipment should be trained in order to know how to perform certain actions. There should never be used shortcuts when it comes to using tools, because this is one of the main causes of workplace accidents. Employees should not use one equipment or tool in place of another.
Create emergency exits
If the employees work in a building then it is required to design emergency exists. They should be placed in easy to access points. The pathways to emergency exists have to be clear, and no equipment placed near them, because in case of a fireplace equipment is a danger for people. If these guidelines are not followed and employees suffer an accident, they have all the right to make personal injury claims. This is the type of situation every company should try to avoid, because it can be daunting for a business to experience a lawsuit.
Emergency evacuation exercises should be done, because employees should be accustomed to the strategy that has to be used in order to evacuate the space effectively and in safety conditions. The emergency procedures should be known and followed by everyone. Companies should have a map that shows where the emergency exits are located.
Also, it is important to have installed smoke detectors, and to check them regularly, to see if they meet the needs of the building. There should be signs placed above exists and water spouts.
Open discussions and checks
Safety guidelines should be a subject discussed at least once a month, in case there are no changes in the working process. Managers and supervisors should not only check the safety conditions, but they should also inform employees how to follow the rules. Open discussions have as purpose of obtaining feedback, because the employees are the ones who know better what can lead to a hazard, considering that they are always present at the working place. There should also be made checks to see if the employees come sober to work and if they correctly use the equipment, in order to prevent workplace accidents.
