~by Kara Masterson~
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Of all the resources a business has, its employees are the most important and valuable. Employees are the heart of a business. Without them, products wouldn’t get made or shipped. Customers would have no one to handle their accounts. And all the behind-the-scenes paperwork and duties would go undone and unfulfilled. That is why it is essential for you to treat your employees well and take good care of them. You want to ensure you are rewarding them for all of their good and hard work on a regular basis. By going out of your way to take good care of your employees, not only can you maintain efficiency within your workplace, but you can also gain more of their respect and appreciation.
Keeping your employees safe protects your business’ interests. It also helps reduce your likelihood of liabilities and workers compensation claims. In addition, it’s a great retention tool in that it reduces the need to replace employees and train temporary workers, and it keeps employees devoted to their job because they feel valued. There is definitely nothing better than that in a workplace.
Keeping your employees safe protects your business’ interests. It helps reduce your likelihood of liabilities and workers compensation claims. It’s a great retention tool in that it reduces the need to replace employees and train temporary workers. And it keeps employees devoted to their job because they feel valued. There is definitely nothing better than that in a workplace.
Here are 3 steps you can take today to protect your employees while on the job:
Study OSHA Standards And Follow Them
OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, provides standards for on-the-job safety that businesses are required to conform to. Not only will compliance keep the business out of regulatory danger, but it will also help to keep employees safe. Be sure to watch for updates and changes and to integrate them quickly. It also would be a good idea to have regular trainings on safety standards and procedures. It is important for your employees to know what the OSHA standards are so that they can always be as safe as possible. The OSHA contains safety standards covering pretty much every accident that could occur in the workplace. There are standards covering everything from the use of ladders and paint to tips on protecting your head. By having trainings on standards like this, you can ensure that everyone knows how to be safe and properly handle equipment.
Hold Regular Safety Seminars
It’s important to continually remind employees of the procedures they should follow to stay safe at work. Safety procedures definitely seem to be something that people usually forget or don’t understand. If you are having trouble figuring out what safety concerns you should have in your workplace, you can consult with a personal injury law firm, such as Bachus & Schanker Law. They can give you advice on some of the most common accidents and mistakes that occur in the workplace and get suggestions on how to avoid them. Then you can hold regular training seminars to help prevent them while also teaching employees how to properly react in an emergency situation.
Safety seminars also help reinforce to employees that you have an open door policy regarding safety concerns. This makes them more likely to report violations and dangers to you. Seminars like this would be a great time to go over OSHA standards as well. In trainings you could even discuss with your employees what they think the best safety procedures would be for your office. Make sure that you cover everything from what to do in case of a fire to what to do in case of an emergency lockdown. Trainings like this should be held on a regular basis so that no one forgets the different emergency procedures. It is also a good idea to have an area where you can hang up your safety procedures so that everyone can see them whenever they need to.
Respond To Employee Concerns
Employees are often much better at recognizing potential hazards than business owners are. As the people who work day-in and day-out, they will immediately notice loose tiles, non-functioning machines, tripping hazards, non-ergonomic setups, and other potential hazards. To facilitate reports, make sure that you have a reporting process in place and that it is discussed during your regular training seminars. But it won’t matter that employees have recognized and reported these situations if the business owner does nothing to correct them. For example, there may be a loose tile in the break room, but if you never go in there, you may never even notice it. And if you don’t ever do anything to fix it, you could have an employee trip or get seriously hurt. That is definitely not something you want to have to deal with.
Once you’ve been alerted to a potential hazard, it’s vital that you respond by correcting the situation as soon as possible so no one will get hurt. This is yet another reason why it is a good idea to meet with your employees regularly. By doing that, you can provide them with a safe place and designated time that they can tell you about concerns they may have.
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Keeping your employees safe isn’t just humane and responsible, it’s one of the most important moves you can make to ensure business success. Employees want to know they are safe and protected at work. It is absolutely essential for you to do all that you can to take care of and respect employees. By earning their respect, you can make sure that your business stays safe, stable and secure. By following these tips you can be assured that you keep all of your employees safe.
And always remember… employees are what make the business.
Meet the Author: Kara Masterson
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from West Jordan, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max.
