While worker safety should always be top priority, some industries are inherently more dangerous than others. In these industries, it is crucial that business leaders carefully consider the safety issues that their workers face every day. An understanding of the daily risks in these dangerous industries will help employers protect their employees and provide a safe working environment.
Trucking and Transportation
Truck driving is a dangerous job for many reasons. Every day, truck drivers face both known and unknown risk factors that could cause them serious injury or death. These risks include inclement weather, other drivers, construction zones, and dangerous locations.
In order to protect truck drivers from these dangers, safety protocols must be rigorous. It is important that truck drivers complete the necessary training and certifications before being allowed to drive. Drivers should also do their due diligence on inspection logs and reports so that they are immediately aware of any potential issues with their vehicle.
Construction and Manufacturing
Anything involving construction or manufacturing brings health and safety risks that shouldn’t go overlooked. Because the scope of these industries is incredibly broad and varied, employees face a countless number of safety risks.
HR should take the lead in keeping workers safe by establishing and enforcing safety procedures. This is especially important because many construction and manufacturing employees are paid based on how quickly they are able to complete a job. This sense of urgency often causes a certain complacency towards safety procedures, so regular reminders from HR are essential.
Sanitation
A recent study completed by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health showed that sanitation workers face a fatality risk that is 10 times higher than workers in all other industries. There are a number of reasons why the sanitation industry is so incredibly dangerous. For example, sanitation workers sent out without the right equipment or training are immediately facing dangerous hazards. It is important for employers to recognize these hazards, and provide the necessary health and safety training in a language that their employees can understand. Constant vigilance will likely cause drastic improvements in the safety of employees in the sanitation industry.
Unfortunately, no amount of safety training or equipment can completely guarantee an employee’s safety. The transportation, construction, and sanitation industries will always have their unique risks. However, if business leaders take it upon themselves to be concerned about worker safety, their employees will likely perform better and experience fewer dangerous incidents at work.
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