By Anica Oaks
It is all business until someone gets hurt on the job. A major injury of key employees will seriously halt production efforts. If a customer gets hurt in your establishment, this will create legal issues and could potentially get your company dragged through the media in a negative light. These are problems no business wants. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent common injuries to your employees and customers alike. Here are some ways you can improve safety conditions around your company.
Clear Entryways and Exits
Hazardous conditions arise when employees leave things lying around where they do not belong. In many cases, this means piles of boxes or other items obstructing entryways and exits of a building. This is particularly a problem in the case of a fire or other incident that requires people to evacuate your place of business. To prevent injury to employees and customers, it should be company policy to never block entryways and exits for prolonged periods of time.
Hire a Safety Specialist
If you really want to beef up safety around your place of business for employees and customers alike, then it is prudent to hire someone with an occupational safety and health online degree or one from a traditional program. A person who is formally educated in safety and security methodologies will be integral to ensuring that your company is using industry-specific best practices to ensure your place of operation is safe from all perceivable dangers.
Fixing Faulty Electric Work
Whenever you open up shop in a new location, it is always smart to have the electric work of the building you are operating out of checked by a professional. Older buildings are especially a source of concern. In these buildings the wiring has likely not been examined in quite some time. A single fault in the wiring of a building will not only potentially put people in danger, but it will also pose a danger to your inventory as well.
Handling Hostile Employees
Until something is done, a hostile employee will only serve as a liability around your company. If a hostile employee gets violent in the workplace, other employees or customers might be hurt as a result. According to Smallbusiness.chron.com, companies should take steps to directly identify and address the behavior of a hostile employee to minimize the risk of damage. In some cases, it is smart for employers to offer a hostile employee assistance in getting treatment for their behavioral problems.
Safety is a growing concern for many businesses. The reduction in liability that safety practices and policies bring help to avert expensive lawsuits and ensure that employees and customers remain safe. When a work environment is free of danger, it makes it far easier for workers to be productive without having to worry about being hurt or injured on the job. Safety measures instituted around a responsible business establishment also tend to ensure that a company will not get a lot of negative press either.
A recent college graduate from University of San Francisco, Anica loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. Follow Anica on Google +.
