Workplace safety should be one of the top priorities in any workplace, especially those that involve heavy machines or dangerous materials. The problem is having rules and enforcing those rules are two separate matters.
If a workplace policy is in place to keep employees safe, you need to know how to make sure employees follow procedures. Failure to do so could mean an injured employee, paying workers’ comp, and even a lawsuit.
Educate Your Staff on Workplace Safety
The first rule of workplace safety is to train your employees properly. Whether the law requires it or not (and it often does), employees should know about workplace dangers and how to stay safe. You should have a Health and Safety Representative (HSR) that undergoes regular HSR refresher training in NSW, they should then be following this training up by providing training or training refreshers for employees.
Simply put, employees (and contractors) can’t follow rules they aren’t aware of. You can’t assume certain procedures are obvious. It’s often hard for veterans to see what newcomers may find challenging.
Walk new employees through the workplace. Showing them the various machines and other potential threats to their safety. They should also review any signs and signals that indicate various hazardous conditions.
All staff should know how to react to an emergency, such as with a fire or serious injury. Emergency equipment, like first aid kits and fire extinguishers, should be clearly marked.
It can also be a good idea to evaluate employees on their knowledge of safety procedures on a regular basis. This will help keep your workplace compliant, them safe, and catch anyone who has forgotten important details before an injury occurs.
Emphasize the Dangers of Overworking
One of the most common causes of workplace injuries is overexertion. Unfortunately, this is a danger even many managers ignore.
Neither management nor those under them should fall for the myth that overexertion is a virtue. Overworking reduces efficiency, increases the risk of injury, and also makes an employee more likely to make other serious mistakes.
There is a reason some equipment and tasks require multiple people, even if technically one human could do the work. It is almost always for reasons of safety and to prevent an individual from hurting themselves.
This is also why the law in most areas requires employees have regular breaks. They need time to eat and rest; this should be thought of as critical in workplaces where physical labor, especially in heat, is the norm.
Overwork is insidious because, from the outside, it looks like an employee going above and beyond. However, what it actually does is makes them and those around them less safe. It’s important to discourage employees from pushing beyond their limits.
Treat Heavy Machinery With Care
One of the primary ways accidents turn deadly is heavy machinery. Machines can exert immense force, far more than the human body is built to withstand.
The problem with heavy machinery operation is that it isn’t always intuitive. Mistakes that seem minor can have serious consequences in the wrong circumstances. Even something like forklifts can topple shelves and impale things (and people) in their way.
While the law already requires it in most places, never allow an employee to handle heavy machinery without training. At least some of that training also needs to be hands-on, with a veteran watching over to catch mistakes early.
Gear failure occurs. The affect of it could run the gamut from simply mounted with minimal losses to catastrophic, relying on components like restore prices, complete downtime, well being and security implications, and affect on manufacturing and supply of providers.
There are a number of widespread causes tools can break down, and understanding why your tools could also be failing is your first line of defense in opposition to the intense penalties of unplanned downtime.
Employees should know to never handle a heavy machine without prior training and authorization. It can be a huge legal liability and could result in massive property damage and deadly injuries.
Take Infractions Seriously
If employees do break from safety guidelines, take those infractions seriously. Managers don’t have to be tyrants but they must correct mistakes. Safety policies are in place for a reason.
Ignoring safety violations can put your business in legal jeopardy and endangers employees. Neither is something a smart manager should tolerate.
What to do when employees break safety policies should be dependent on the nature of the infraction and their record. At the very least, a thorough review of the current safety procedures should be in order.
Offenses that are grossly negligent or willful in nature should be taken very seriously. These types of offenses can easily result in a risk of death in the future, for either the violator or those around them.
Software Can Help
If you’re concerned about maintaining workplace safety, you should also learn more about WHS management software. Effective work, health, and safety systems help to streamline safety procedures and better protect employees.
For example, the WHS software linked to above allows a business to quickly see what training and instruction your business is required to give to workers. This can help ensure your business is compliant, protecting both you and your employees.
Software also makes it easier to track and report employee illnesses and injuries in accordance with applicable law. This not only is valuable in the legal sense but also helps in identifying problem areas in the workplace as well as seeing if any employees are unusually prone to injury or illness.
Finally, WHS management software helps you track hazardous workplace behaviors and conditions. This information allows you to correct issues in a timely manner and better prevent future workplace injuries.
Workplace Safety Starts at the Top
Workplace safety starts with those in charge. Employees need to be trained in your safety policies and be familiar with workplace hazards and emergency procedures. That isn’t going to happen on its own.
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