Workplace safety is a serious issue, especially in industrial businesses. From employee procedures to safety gear, there are many things that could represent safety issues.
The Importance of Workplace Safety
In terms of morale and cost savings, there's no better way to improve an organization than workplace safety. Not only does poor workplace safety adversely impact employees, but it also delays projects and leads to company-related expenses. If your organization is concerned about its bottom line, it has to improve safety.
Poor safety leads to worker compensation claims, liability issues, and potential fines or penalties. When significant injuries occur, businesses often need to bring operations to a halt. But all of these things can be avoided with the preemptive adoption of an OSHA compliance checklist.
Workplace Safety Policy and Training
Proper workplace safety always begins with policy and training. Employees need to be aware of workplace policy in order to be held accountable, and accountability is what leads to better, safer day-to-day operations. While employees naturally want to be safe, they also want to be productive. They may find themselves no longer following proper safety procedure if there aren't clear processes and penalties in place.
Recurring workplace safety training can reinforce a culture of workplace safety and remind employees of proper safety processes. These policies and training must be backed up with consequences if proper safety protocol isn't followed.
Emergency Procedures and On-Site Supplies
When an emergency occurs, it's important to have a hierarchy of responsibility. If people aren't empowered to act, they often won't—they need to know who is in charge. Create disaster preparation plans, so employees know exactly how to react in the event of an emergency. In addition, make sure that employees have the on-site supplies that they need to deal with potential emergencies.
Workplace Hygiene and Supplies/Products
Healthier employees are happier employees. It isn't just about making sure that employees don't get injured—it's also about making sure that they don't get sick. Improving workplace hygiene with the right cleaning supplies and products can improve the overall health of your business.
Consider improving air quality through air filtration, adding soap dispensers and hand sanitizers, and generally promoting cleanliness and health consciousness. Make sure employees know that they shouldn't come to work when ill, and encourage employees to wash their hands frequently. Testing your air quality can also help.
Efficiency and Products to Streamline Operations
Often, keeping employees safe can be a matter of improving the efficiency of your internal operations. The more that is automated and the less employees need to do, the fewer situations will arise that could potentially endanger them. Consider conducting a productivity audit of your business to identify areas that can be improved with updated workflows or technology.
Putting It All Together: Following Your Checklist
A checklist isn't valuable unless it's able to be followed. Make sure you regularly conduct reviews of your security processes and procedures, make sure that all of your supplies are in stock, and establish potential improvements.
With your OSHA compliance checklist in hand, you should be able to improve upon your safety and business operations. For all of the best safety, efficiency, and hygiene supplies consult the ELEVATE Marketplace today.
