6 Ways to Prioritise Safety in the Workplace
We all know that workplace safety is important. However, it’s sadly an aspect that gets put onto the back burner until something goes wrong. In reality, it should be at the front of both employers and employees’ minds alike. One thing that’s often overlooked when it comes to workplace safety is that it’s not just about avoiding accidents that could cause harm. It’s also about making sure you’ve got a safe environment where you can work without the fear of getting hurt. It doesn’t matter if you’re in an office, a factory, a kitchen, or even a store, it’s important to take it seriously. When you do, productivity, morale and overall well-being will rise. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how we all can be safer in the workplace.
Why does workplace safety matter?
Before we dive into things, why exactly does workplace safety matter? Well, imagine walking into work and not being sure that you’re going to make it home in one piece. You wouldn’t go in, right? The idea that being at work could potentially hurt you is a chilling thought and for some people, it’s a reality they can’t avoid. Having an unsafe working environment can cause injuries, illnesses, and even death. It’s not just physical risks either, there’s also the psychological toll that it takes on people. Those that have to work in an unsafe environment are more prone to stress and anxiety which in turn, can lead to lower productivity levels and burning out.
It’s important to remember that having a safe space to work in isn’t only a legal obligation, it’s a moral one too. When you go the extra mile to ensure everyone’s safe, it shows your employees that their well-being is a priority for you. And, when people feel safe, they’re more likely to focus harder on their work and even stay under your employment for longer.
There’s also the financial aspect to take into consideration. Making sure that accidents are prevented will save you a lot of money. Not only are you less likely to have to replace stock or machinery, you’ll also save on medical expenses and legal fees if someone were to sue you. That’s why workplace safety is so important. Now, how can we make sure we’re safe while at work?
Understand the needs of your industry
The first thing you need to do is take a step back to understand what risks are involved in your particular industry. For example, the risks of working in an office are much different to those that work in a busy kitchen. In an office, there might be risks of things like poor posture due to impractical office furniture whereas in a kitchen, you’ve got hazards like knives, heat and slips. So, working out what risks are associated with your particular industry is a must.
Once you’ve identified those risks, you can then take the necessary steps to prevent those risks from happening. One major aspect of this might be training your employees with certain pieces of machinery or equipment. Your employees need to know how to use equipment and machinery properly and understand where potential dangers are. They’ll also need to know how to respond if there is an accident or an emergency. It’s also important to note that training should be a regular occurrence, especially with newer pieces of technology that might have updates that change the way you use them.
You’ll also need to stress to your team how important communication is. If they notice something that could be a potential hazard, they should be able to report it to you without the fear of being scorned. While it’s your responsibility to have those safety protocols in place, it’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure they are upheld each day. Make it easy for people to communicate, especially if your team works on different floors or departments. Things like Slack and Basecamp 3 are amazing tools that can help keep communication levels high.
Food safety
When it comes to safety in the workplace, food safety most definitely deserves a spotlight of its own. When you work in the food industry there are all kinds of hazards in production, processing and service too. One small lapse in safety protocols can lead to contamination, illness, injury, or even death. And that’s all before taking into consideration the reputation of your company! That’s why you need to make sure you meet GFSI standards if you’re in the food industry.
For those that don’t know, GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) sets rules and regulations for businesses in the food industry. The rules are designed to help companies make sure their products are safe for consumption to avoid illness or fatalities. For example, making sure every employee has good hygiene is something that’s non-negotiable. This means you need to make sure there are clean hand washing stations with plenty of supplies to wash hands with like soap and fresh paper towels.
You also need to make sure that there are absolutely no chances of cross contamination. You can achieve this by putting rules into place that insist all employees much was and sanitise equipment and surfaces after use. It’s not just about keeping raw food away from cooked food either – you need to think about allergens and other dietary requirements too.
If your business is in the food industry, training is especially important. Your employees not only need to know the rules, they need to know why they are the rules. Send them on regular training sessions and make sure you check personally that they are following the rules you’ve set out.
Make it a mindset
Safety in the workplace shouldn’t just be a bunch of rules you make your employees read. It needs to be ingrained into their minds so that it becomes second nature to them. First of all, you need to lead by example. Your employees will pick up on the things that you do and if you’re cutting corners, so will they. Not only that, if you’re following the rules it shows your employees that following safety protocols is non-negotiable.
You can also get employees involved in making sure that everyone is safe in the workplace. You can assign certain roles to people like a fire safety leader or someone that’s first aid trained. Not only is this essential in case of emergencies, but it will give your employees a sense of ownership which in turn, will make them take safety much more seriously.
Another way to make safety a mindset is by celebrating certain milestones. You could celebrate milestones like a certain amount of days without someone being burned in the kitchen or passing an inspection with flying colors. You can celebrate things like this with a box of donuts for everyone or a complimentary lunch spread. Little rewards like these will also help motivate your employees to keep safety at the forefront of their mind.
Use technology
We live in a world where technology is quite literally taken over – and it can be used to help make sure everyone is safe in the workplace too! Things like wearable devices that can monitor your temperature and heart rate can make sure that your team isn’t overworking themselves. Or you could look into having sensors installed that can detect hazardous conditions like carbon monoxide or potential gas leaks.
Or, you could even go as far as looking into VR to help with training. If you’re in an industry that has a high risk of danger in the workplace, having the ability to train your employees without actually putting them into a dangerous situation is extremely helpful. For example, training a firefighter or a first responder. Not only that, they can regularly spend time using it so that if a real danger does happen, they are more prepared than they would be through traditional methods of training.
Mental health matters too
When you think of safety in the workplace, your mind likely goes to physical risks like slips and falls. However, prioritising good mental health in the workplace is also a matter of safety. If people are stressed, anxious, or even burnt out, they are more prone to make mistakes or accidentally forget certain safety protocols. That’s why it’s your responsibility to promote better mental health in your workplace. You can do this by providing your team with access to stress management tools and speaking with them to see how you can change things to help them.
This might involve more flexible working hours or even the chance to work remotely some of the week. If people are mentally drained, their productivity drops and everyone’s safety is compromised, so if making a few adjustments can help improve the mental health of your team, then it’s definitely something that you should be considering.
As you can see, there are lots of ways we could be safer in the workplace. From the more obvious standpoint of health and safety in the kitchen right down to mental health, consider these ideas to make your workplace the safest it can be.
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