Did you know that a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds? If one of those injuries happened in your workplace, you may be wondering what to do next. An injured employee can leave you feeling guilty and confused, but putting an effective injury prevention plan in place can help everyone move forward. Here are five essential steps you can take to make changes in your workplace after an on-the-job injury.
Train and Educate
Education is critical to cultivating a concern for safety among your employees. Conduct mandatory safety training for all new hires and periodically for existing workers. Make sure that employees attend comprehensive, relevant safety training before moving to any new task or position.
Clean House
A clean workplace is a safe workplace. Many injuries can be prevented with thoughtful organization and regular cleaning. Keep footpaths and forklift routes free of debris, make sure safety signs are always clearly visible and mop up any spills immediately to prevent slips and falls.
Warm Up Before Work
Many workplace injuries are caused by overworked muscles, but these types of injuries can be prevented by warming up before each shift. Look into work injury prevention programs that incorporate active stretching and dynamic movements to reduce the risk of strains, sprains and other soft tissue injuries. Warm-ups can also increase productivity and the overall health of your workers.
Provide Protective Equipment
You wouldn’t expect your workers to build a wall without a hammer, and you can’t expect them to be safe without the proper equipment either. Whether they wear hard hats or hair nets, be sure to supply all employees with the protection they need to do their jobs safely. It’s also important to remember that skimping on bargain basement equipment can cost much more in workplace injuries.
Require Pre-placement Physicals
Workplace injuries often occur when employees attempt tasks that they are not physically fit to do. Just because someone can lift 50 pounds or stand for an hour doesn’t mean they can do it safely, so consider sending new hires to the doctor’s office for a physical before placing them in a position to make sure they are capable of doing the job safely.
Remember, safety isn’t just talking the talk but also walking the walk. It’s important for owners and managers to model safe practices for their workers. Never let your employees see you cutting corners, neglecting to wear proper safety equipment or engaging in unsafe activities on the job.
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.
Workplace injury stock photo by Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock
