For your employees to be happy and productive while at work, they have to feel and actually be safe in that work environment. There are any number of things that could make employees unsafe at work, be it improper use of equipment or threats from others within or outside your organization. But in order to best care for and protect your employees, you all have to be aware of any potential dangers and know how to best address these issues.
To show you how, here are three ways you can help your employees be safer at work.
Teach Recommended Policies and Procedures With Equipment
Whether your employees use larger pieces of equipment or just smaller hardware, teaching mandated policies and procedures can go a long way toward helping people operate these items more safely. According to Shelley Frost, a contributor to Chron Small Business, in order to have policies and procedures in place, you have to have identified what could be potentially hazardous. And by knowing what things you and your employees should be aware of, you increase the likelihood that these pieces of equipment will be used with care. Consider retraining on your recommended policies and procedures at least a few times a year to refresh the memory of your employees on a regular basis.
Run Drills For Various Safety Concerns
While having a plan in place for when a safety concern arises is a step in the right direction, if the actual event takes place in real time, people often panic, which can make the situation much worse. To keep this from happening, Mark Sanborn, a contributor to Entrepreneur.com, recommends running drills for the various safety concerns you have identified. This will give people the chance to practice what you’ve taught about how to handle hazardous situations and what each employee’s roles and responsibilities are in emergency situations.
Create An Environment of Trust
When an emergency erupts, there are often warning signs that could have helped the situation either be avoided or mitigated. However, if your employees aren’t on the lookout for these things or don’t feel comfortable bringing up their concerns, there will be no way for you to get any forewarning. For this reason, Samantha Ettus, a contributor to Forbes.com, suggests doing your best to create an environment of trust where your employees can come to you if they see something. By training your employees on “If you see something, say something”, you’ll hopefully be able to address any problems before they get out of hand.
If you’re concerned about keeping your employees safe while at work, use the tips mentioned above to help you do just that.