safety measures represented by a construction worker wearing a hard hat

Invest in Safety Measures to Protect Your Profits

Featured image by bridgesward via Pixabay

If you and your employees mostly push paper and pound keyboards, you might think your business is immune to hazards and you don’t need to think about safety measures. If that’s what you’re thinking, think again.

Workplace injuries can cost businesses plenty, even in office-based businesses. A failure to institute safety measures can lead to thousands of dollars in direct costs such things as medical care, property loss, and litigation. Indirect costs, such as lost productivity and disrupted customer service, can boost your losses even higher.

For the most part, though, workplace injuries are avoidable. By focusing on preventing injuries and taking measures to ensure workplace safety, you can make your place of business a healthier one for yourself and your employees. In the process, you’ll also protect your company’s bottom line.

Identify Safety Hazards and Take Measures to Mitigate Them

Workplace safety hazards vary depending upon where in the world you are located and the type of business you’re in. If your company is involved with manufacturing or construction, for example, workplace safety measures will likely be highly regulated and monitored by governmental agencies.

But even office-based workplaces offer their share of safety hazards. What safety hazards should you watch out for in your company’s office?

Falls

Falls are one of the chief ways that people injure themselves at work. Eliminate trip hazards and keep this type of injury to a minimum.

Electrical Hazards

Ensure that electrical sockets and power cords are not defective or damaged, and use extension cords only as a temporary solution.

Cluttered Workspaces

Make good housekeeping a habit. Not only is clutter unsightly, it can also make your workplace less safe by blocking exits, creating fire hazards, and attracting pests. Encourage good housekeeping by giving employees a set time every week to clear clutter from their own desktops and workspaces. As an added bonus, set a time when all employees pitch in to clear their work areas of clutter. This can also become a regular occasion for building camaraderie and encouraging teamwork.

Store cleaning supplies in a location all their own. A good many cleaning products are flammable or toxic. As a routine measure, store them safely out of the way when they’re not being used.

Additionally, keep emergency exits free and clear, and make sure that everyone knows where these exits are located.

Lack of Safety Measures for Drugs and Alcohol

Drug test your workers. When an employee’s judgment and coordination are impaired by drugs and alcohol, injuries are much more likely to occur. In addition, productivity and customer service are bound to suffer as well.

Among the other measures you can put into place to further ensure the safety and emotional healt of your workers is to marijuana hair test your workers. You might also want to test job candidates for drugs and alcohol use during the hiring process.

Poor Ergonomics

When poorly designed workstations cause workers physical discomfort, they can’t possibly perform at their optimum level. So if you really want to improve worker productivity, you can’t go wrong by providing ergonomic solutions. This is a safety measure that will help employees avoid repetitive movements and practice better posture on the job.

Emotional Stress

Keep emotional stress to a minimum. You may not think of stress reduction as one of the safety measures you should enact, but consider the consequences: Overly long hours with few breaks, as well as job insecurity and conflicts with managers and coworkers, can affect productivity. Take steps to ensure that everyone feels emotionally healthy on the job and watch your profits rise.

Have a Plan and Train Employees to Follow Its Safety Measures

Once you’ve identified the hazards, put some policies and procedures in place to ensure that your workplace becomes and remains a safe place. Then, make sure that all of your employees know and comply with those policies and procedures. Further, ensure that everyone knows what to do in case of fire or a natural disaster.

Set a Good Example

This measure may sound obvious, but it counts for a lot: Follow your own safety rules. You’re the leader of your organization, after all, in this as in every other way. While you’re at it, make it easy for employees to report safety hazards when they notice them.

How Will Your Business Benefit from Implementing Safety Measures?

On average, adult workers around the world spend roughly a third of their total waking hours on the job. They have a right to expect that you will take measures to ensure their safety while they are at work. What’s more, your employees are your most important asset. Therefore, it’s to your benefit as well as theirs that you provide them with a safe place in which to do the jobs you’ve hired them to do.

You and your business will benefit in other ways as well. When you take steps to improve safety in your workplace, not only will your spending decrease for obvious safety-related expenses such as healthcare and legal costs, but also your company will enjoy improved productivity and better financial performance overall.

About the Author

Carrol Strain is a Top Rated copywriter on Upwork, as well as editor and on-call writer for the Business Opportunities blog.