According to an OSHA report, in 2022 two workers died due to a failure in safety training and standards at a Colorado facility. Apart from the tragic loss of life, this incident also led to heavy fines for the company involved.
Every business owner must protect their employees and their business from this type of incident. That means you need to build workplace safety programs to prevent on-site accidents.
Read this workplace safety program checklist to help you create a safe work environment.
Safety Starts With Commitment
Step one in preventing workplace accidents is to get your employees on board.
Find out what the requirements are for your industry. Then explain your intention to enforce these to all your workers.
Incentivizing compliance can help create excitement toward your safety program. Likewise, penalties for non-compliance can help ensure everyone stays on track.
When workers feel motivated to comply, they're more likely to conform to the rules.
Identify Risks and Train Employees
Industry standards serve as a guideline for your business only. You must assess your own space for ways to install them.
Pay attention to the unique layout of your workplace and pay attention to the following:
- Environmental hazards like dust and emissions
- Hazardous activities like operating machinery
- Your worker's attitude toward safety
Make a note of your findings, so you can implement safety measures around them.
Once you have a clear idea of the way forward, workplace safety training is the next step. You can't expect anyone to comply if they don't know what's expected of them.
Building Workplace Safety Programs Documentation
Documents serve as a good reference for workers and help hold both management and employees accountable. Some safety regulations require a written program, too.
These include:
- Hazard Communication
- Energy control procedures
- Respiratory Protection
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Post-exposure Plan for blood-borne pathogens
- Emergency Action Plan
- Permit-required Confined Spaces.
- Electrical Safety and Fire Prevention Plans
- Hearing Conservation Program
You also need to provide written notifications and signs for restricted areas and all hazardous chemicals on your premises.
This ultimate guide will set you on track to meeting regulations and keeping your employees informed about workplace safety hazards.
Review and Refine
You should review your safety plan every year and improve it where necessary. Go through all your procedures, training modules, and written safety documentation, and look for gaps.
If you do experience an incident, you must investigate where your procedures fell short, so you can prevent further incidents. Find the cause, identify suitable changes, and keep track of preventive and corrective measures.
Implement these improvements immediately to eliminate future risks.
Protect Your Businesses Future
When you build workplace safety programs effectively, you're not only protecting your workers. You're ensuring your business doesn't suffer.
Workplace accidents lead to unnecessary delays and can cause high employee turnover. In the worst-case scenario, they can lead to costly and damaging personal injury lawsuits.
When it comes to running and growing your business, information is power. Browse our website for more interesting business and health-related topics.
