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Creating a safe work environment not only protects everyone who visits your business, but it also protects your company from major liabilities. Every workplace has specific areas where safety is a concern. Whether you have a crew climbing on rooftops to perform repairs or you operate a corporate campus, taking these steps will ensure everyone benefits from having a safer work environment they feel comfortable visiting each day. Below, the insurance experts from Altra Insurance, a premier provider of commercial insurance San Diego business owners rely on, offer five tips on how to enhance safety in your workplace.
1. Eliminate Recognized Hazards
Most workplaces have a few common hazards you should always include in your safety plans. For instance, wet floors from leaks or cleaning can increase the risk of a slip-and-fall accident occurring. Make sure to establish a safety team that’s responsible for identifying the most common hazards that exist in your workplace. Then ask them to create a plan to eliminate each one. For example, it might be necessary to mop floors during a time when the normal foot traffic levels are low.
2. Provide Safety Training on an Ongoing Basis
New-hire training is a perfect time to go over the essential safety guidelines to follow in your workplace. But it’s easy for longtime employees to forget essential safety procedures over time, or they might be tempted to cut corners as they gain experience. Try to provide both short training sessions and more extensive ones each year to keep what your team needs to remember fresh. For example, you might add a few reminders about how to prevent back injuries during a monthly meeting. At an annual conference, you can then provide more in-depth training on how to prevent other common workplace injuries.
3. Supply Essential Safety Gear & Equipment
Your team can’t stay safe without the proper personal protection equipment and tools to do their jobs. Make sure you’ve provided all of your crew members with gear that may include high-visibility clothing along with protective gloves and eyewear. If you have employees who use tools or equipment on a daily basis, such as ladders, you’ll also want to make sure those tools are inspected regularly. The same concept also applies to company vehicles. Regular safety inspections decrease the risk of vehicle accidents.
4. Place Strategic Safety Signs & Reminders
Even with frequent training, it’s still easy for people to forget what they’ve learned when they get busy. Or you might have visitors who need to be reminded to do things such as wear a hard hat. Providing proper signage also helps your employees put out warning signs when a hazard develops, such as a chemical spill, until they’re able to handle the situation.
5. Promote Employee Accountability
Every single person who works in a building or at a job site is responsible for keeping the area safe. You can use multiple strategies to encourage employee accountability, such as designating specific people to handle common safety-related tasks. Keeping a count of how many days your workplace goes without any injuries can also serve as motivation for everyone to do their part.
If you run a business and want to learn more about workplace safety and how it impacts your insurance rates, get in touch with the experienced team at Altra Insurance Services. We provide a variety of insurance products, including business, homeowners, motorcycle, and car insurance National City. No matter what your insurance needs are, we can help. Call one of our friendly agents today.