Not too long ago, we wrote about protecting your company from lawsuits. This article covered the different insurance options that are available to provide monetary protection against various business risks. It’s fair to say that this is important and often necessary, however, it is a reactive method rather than a proactive one.
In this article, we want to follow up by discussing how companies can best protect their employees proactively on the job to keep them safe. Doing so will provide a better working environment and hopefully avoid many of the risks that could lead to needing to make an insurance claim.
Office Safety
The basic concept with office safety is to spend a little now to safeguard employees later. Also, it’s likely to save more in employee downtime, claims, and other disruptions to the normal workflow too. The measures to take in an office aren’t extreme, but each step along the way reduces the risk of an employee injury.
If you have flooring in your office that is not ideal, for example, rubberized safety mats are a good and cheap solution. They will slow the foot traffic while making the floor surface far stickier.
You should also try to create an open space and avoid cramped areas. These cause people to feel restricted and don’t allow enough space for employees to move out of the way of other co-workers or visitors to the office. Encourage all staff to slow their movements to avoid an accidental slip and fall.
Another tip for the office is to clean up spills as soon as possible. Make the safety officer responsible for putting up a warning sign about wet surfaces so staff can walk more carefully when nearby until the floor is dry again.
Warehouse Safety
With warehouse safety, there are multiple concerns.
The main issue is the rapid movement of people and goods. Forklift trucks pose a moving hazard. All staff must be reminded to keep their eyes on a swivel and the forklift drivers should be trained to always be on alert for surprises.
Goods falling from their storage place and onto someone’s body are a major concern too. Storage must be reviewed to ensure that no one is put at unnecessary risk. Consider that boxes may get moved and slide – figure out the expected movement patterns and how this relates to employee safety. Change storage methods if necessary to improve employee safety.
Ensure all staff wear appropriate protective gloves, steel-toe boots, and back supports when moving around heavy goods too.
Industrial Facility Safety
For industrial facilities, it depends on what work is being conducted there and how it impacts potential safety issues.
Where there’s a concern about cross-contamination between work areas, it’s useful to utilize tents with built-in ventilation to create the necessary separation. Lancs Industries produces one of these types of tents for a variety of real-world uses which are highly adaptable.
In a situation where the company is concerned about dust or other air contaminants, protective clothing should be worn. Again, Lancs Industries can supply protective clothing including one-piece suits, welder’s overalls, and face masks with a HEPA filter for proper lung protection.
When it comes to safety, companies know that they have a responsibility to live up to. It’s necessary to supply safety equipment and other supplies that help to keep workers safe in every environment they come into contact with.
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