How Employers Can Prioritize Employee Safety and Well-Being

Maintaining a safe and healthy workplace can be a constant give and take between employers and employees. Workers can create large amounts of trouble for companies that don’t take safety seriously and end up with employees getting sick or injured on the job. It’s going to take both time and commitment to ensure a strong culture of safety, but here are some useful methods of making sure that employees are safe and properly protected while on the job.

Ensure Equipment and Machine Safety

One of the first steps in prioritizing safety isn’t making sure that any machinery or equipment that employees are using is up to par. According to OSHA regulations, employers have to provide any personal protective equipment (PPE) that employees need to perform their job. But making sure that employees have quality PPE and feel comfortable using that equipment is another story. Likewise, employers need to make sure any machinery inside the workplace is safe. That means inspecting machines regularly and performing maintenance so that any potential problems can be spotted and fixed before any employee is put in danger. If companies want to prioritize safety, they need to do their best to be proactive rather than reactive.

Train the Right Way

Along with equipment, safety at the workplace often begins with training. Employers need to be able to invest in safety training for employees that ensures they know how to perform their jobs in a safe manner. A comprehensive training program can make all of the difference in the world when it comes to preventing accidents and injuries. Another key is simply testing employees after they undergo training to make sure that the training has been understood and can be put into practice.

Conduct Regular Audits

If a company is doing its due diligence with health and safety, it will likely be performing regular safety audits. Good businesses audit their finances and other parts of the company, right? That’s because they want to make sure everything is functioning as it should and the company finances are in good shape. It’s no different when it comes to workplace safety. If you want to make sure everything is running smoothly in terms of safety, then regular audits and inspections should be conducted.

Sanitize and Disinfect

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, germs and bacteria are now an important part of workplace safety across all industries. All surfaces and areas need to be sanitized and disinfected regularly to keep employees safe. If companies want to make sure that health and safety are prioritized, there should be a specific plan in place for cleaning and disinfecting all work areas.

Communicate

If there’s one area of workplace safety that can always be improved, it’s communication. It might sound simple, but communication is the best way to show employees that their safety and well-being are a priority. Just remember that communication is a two-way street. That means company leaders should always make an effort to communicate safety topics and changes with employees to make sure they’re always in the loop. At the same time, leaders should be open to hearing from employees whenever they have suggestions or concerns about workplace safety. For there to be good communication, all sides need to be willing to speak and willing to listen.

Utilize Safety Software 

If workplace safety is going to be a priority, companies would be wise to utilize safety management software. For example, EHS Insight offers software that helps to connect every facet of occupational health and safety. It’s the best way to improve training methods, conduct audits, track hazards, and open up communication channels. Our system makes sure that everyone at the company can take a more active role in workplace safety.

When your business is ready to make employee safety a bigger priority, give us a call and we’ll talk about all of the ways our software can help make that happen.