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Even though health and safety is a key focus area for many businesses, there are still ways to lower health risks at the workplace. As indicated by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, over 3 million non-fatal and 4,680 fatal injuries occurred at the workplace.
These statistics indicate the seriousness of the problem. However, this doesn’t automatically imply that such health risks at your business are inevitable. In any case, there are easy ways you can lower such health risks at the workplace of your business. Here are ways you can minimize or lower health risks in your business.
1. Communicate Your Company’s Health and Safety Policy Clearly
Before anything else, you should ensure that each worker understands your workspace health and safety policy and how it relates to their work. You can achieve this by holding regular training seminars to ensure the information stays fresh in each worker’s mind. Also, whenever you acquire new workers, ensure you do an orientation to inform them of your company’s health and safety policy.
Additionally, think of the most effective way to share your company’s health and safety policy with your staff. For instance, you can decide to post crucial information in infrequently visited areas, including lunch lounges. Likewise, you can opt to give each worker a health and safety handbook to read and understand the policy. Or still, you can decide to leverage mobile technology where you upload your policy onto a mobile emergency management app. Through such a mechanism, you can provide all workers crucial information from any location and time. Irrespective of the approach you use, ensure that all workers have access to key information regarding health and safety when they require it.
2. Install Relevant Health and Safety Equipment
Health and safety equipment are essential items that you must install in your workplace environment to lower health risks in your business. One such piece of equipment is the commercial HEPA air purifier that can help keep the air at the workplace clean and safe. While health and safety equipment are imperative for employees working in the medical and construction sectors, all employees should have proper safety equipment.
Individuals working in the construction sector need to have hard hats and other equipment to guarantee their safety while working. Likewise, those in the medical field must have proper PPEs to prevent them from getting diseases from their patients. Ultimately, supplying appropriate equipment to all your staff is important to help you lower health and safety risks in your business.
3. Handle Health Hazards Quickly to Lower Health Risks
Always ensure you deal with health hazards as quickly as possible. Also, keep in mind that clutter, slippery floors, and minor risks can result in more serious health risks at your workplace. The main cause of injuries in the work environment is slip-and-fall accidents, which in most cases can be prevented.
In addition, ensure you develop an effective protocol to be used by workers when reporting and dealing with hazards in your company. Here, you can also leverage the capabilities of mobile apps. Irrespective of when and where a hazard happens, such an app enables workers to notify the right people to address the matter instantly. Besides, the app can allow workers to access appropriate health and safety files, including contact lists, regulation details, and flowcharts.
4. Cultivate a Health and Safety Conscious Culture
Ensuring the workplace is safe for all workers isn’t your responsibility alone or that of the department; it requires everyone’s efforts. For this reason, you should work towards cultivating a safe culture in your company to ensure each individual plays their role. In the end, this will ensure that everyone stays safe while working in the company.
Wrap Up for Lower Health Risks
The Health and safety of employees is crucial in any workplace environment. Therefore, as a business owner, you must put measures in place to guarantee the safety of your staff while they perform their duties. Fortunately, there are many easy ways you can lower health and safety risks in your company. For instance, you can communicate your company’s health and safety policy, handle health hazards quickly, install appropriate safety equipment, and cultivate a health and safety-conscious culture.
