Even with so many workplace safety standards and mandates in place, we’re still seeing many preventable injuries and illnesses occurring and work-related fatalities are also increasing.
The good news is that you can do your part to protect your employees’ health and safety by creating a company safety plan that addresses these hazards. With a little preparation (and this article), you’ll be on your way to making your workplace safer for everyone involved!
Here are 3 things to consider when creating your company safety plan.
Including an Emergency Action Plan
An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) should help you understand the potential for an emergency, and it should also provide a framework for how you’ll respond. A good EAP will include:
- A hazard analysis identifying all potential hazards in your workplace.
- An emergency plan that addresses how each of these hazards could occur, who might be affected by them, and what actions must be taken in response.
- A list of the people involved in any response efforts (and their contact information). This includes employees who are trained in first aid or other basic medical care; designated leaders; members of your communications team; etc.
- Plans detailing the steps to take if an evacuation is necessary (or other actions to be taken) because of an accident or disaster at work. These plans should also include details about what equipment will be needed as well as where employees can seek shelter during an event like this one.
- You should also create an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) based on hazard analysis. This must be updated annually as well as reviewed by management and communicated to all employees.
Regular Safety Training
Safety training is an important part of creating a company safety plan and the best way to ensure your employees understand how to protect themselves from workplace hazards, including how to use the equipment that they are responsible for operating.
Employees should be trained in topics such as:
-how to prevent injuries or accidents
-the proper use of equipment, tools, and machinery
-safe work practices, including proper body mechanics
Your goal should be to create a training program that is easy to understand and can be easily remembered by each employee. A good way of doing this is through videos and interactive presentations which allow you to reinforce key points throughout the course. You should also think about what format would work best for your company; if you have multiple locations or multiple shifts then having video access might not be ideal or an in-person training session may be required.
Don’t Forget About Wellness
A wellness program is a collection of programs aimed at promoting employee health, including encouraging employees to take breaks and vacations, exercise, eat healthily, get enough sleep and be active. These are important ways to also improve workplace safety. When your employees are well rested, feel good, and valued, they’re likely to perform better at work.
Also, mental health is important to workplace culture. Your employees should feel empowered to speak up if they see something unsafe happening in the workplace and not feel afraid for speaking up about it.
Being aware of employee safety is a key responsibility of management. This includes everything from ergonomics (how people use tools and equipment) to chemical hazards (what materials are being used by other departments) to electrical hazards (how much electricity is being used).
By keeping an eye out for these potential hazards, you can create a safer environment for all those involved in the production of goods or services at your company or organization
If you’re in greater Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Ventura County, or San Bernardino County, then give us a call! We’ll teach your members or employees how to keep themselves–and those around them–healthy and safe.
Our training services aren’t just smart, they’re required by law!