The safety experts at US Standard Products understand that the specific workplace safety tips that apply to a given organization will vary from one industry to another. That said, US Standard Products’ safety specialists also know that some general safety guidelines and work safety tips are relevant across all injuries.
The following are five key examples. No matter what line of work you’re in, be sure to keep them in mind.
Emphasize the Use of Personal Protective Equipment
What qualifies as PPE equipment depends on the nature of a given job. That said, in general, PPE is meant to protect workers from exposure to potentially hazardous substances, conditions, etc.
For example, PPE safety at a construction site may involve wearing helmets and durable clothes to reduce the chances of sustaining injury resulting from falling items. At a lab where employees work with hazardous chemicals, PPE should limit their exposure to said chemicals.
Regardless, it’s important to not only supply employees with sufficient PPE (such as the type supplied by US Standard Products), but to also ensure everyone understands and adheres to your company’s PPE safety guidelines.
Clean Even ‘Minor’ Messes & Spills
At establishments such as restaurants and supermarkets, employees are encouraged to swiftly clean up spills and other messes as soon as they occur. This is because these hazards can result in slip and fall accidents, which can in turn cause serious injury.
However, it’s important to remember that those types of “minor” spills can be hazardous anywhere. For example, maybe you’re in the break room at your office, and someone accidentally spills some water on the floor.
They shouldn’t just walk away from it. It’s essential that employees understand the necessity of cleaning up all messes in all circumstances.
Reward Reporting
This is one of the most significant work safety tips an employee can keep in mind when designing workplace safety policies. Employees need to know they won’t be punished for reporting unsafe work conditions, even if by reporting them, they force the company to spend extra time addressing those conditions before completing a project. Instead, in some fair capacity, employees should be rewarded (or at least openly and genuinely thanked) for reporting hazards.
Train
It’s not enough merely to train new hires in the company’s safety procedures once. Training should be regular and frequent. The fact that an employee received safety training when they were first hired doesn’t mean they’ll remember everything they learned if you don’t constantly reinforce those lessons.
Communicate Updates
A range of factors, from taking on new clients to changing government regulations, can result in necessary changes to a company’s workplace safety policies. Naturally, companies need to embrace these changes. They can’t be slow to adjust their safety policies when doing so becomes necessary. However, they also need to clearly communicate all updates with all members of the workforce.
Just remember that these are merely general safety guidelines. They apply to all industries. You need to make sure you’re also familiar with industry-specific safety tips.
