As employers, it is our job to ensure the safety of our employees. However, it can be tough to see the different hidden dangers inside our workplace. For many, what looks like a particularly safe workplace is hazardous to the trained eye. Therefore, it’s time for you to prepare for all sorts of accidents at work.
Accidents can happen at any time. It’s estimated that over two million people experience work-related accidents worldwide. In the US, it’s estimated that there are about 4,000 work-related fatal injuries. These numbers don’t lie. Work-related accidents exist, and they can happen in your company.
Preparing for accidents is much like preparing for the worse. However, you can save your employees and your company’s funds by doing so. Here are some ways you can prepare for accidents in your workplace.
Slips and Other Physical Injuries
Physical injuries are common and can happen at any time. The frequency of such accidents is highly dependent on the place you work. For example, manufacturing plants are more likely to have physical injuries than marketing offices. However, physical injuries at work are still work-related accidents that you should take into serious consideration.
Preventing slips and other physical injuries at work lies in the preparation. Here are some things you should consider:
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You should always have rails on your stairs and guard rails if there is an open space in your office a couple of meters above the ground.
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Ensure your emergency exits are marked, and all your employees have access to them.
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Stock on warning signs such as ‘wet floor’ and the like.
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Hold a seminar on common workplace accidents, so your employees know what to avoid.
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If you have a high rate of workplace injuries in your industry, ensure that your employees have access to all sorts of protective gear.
Sometimes, accidents can’t be prevented, so it’s also important that you have the necessary tools to treat work-related physical injuries. Here are some ways you can do that:
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Store first-aid kits. Make sure you have one for every employee you have in your company.
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Give accident-related insurance to employees.
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Build a clinic if you can afford it.
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If you can’t afford a clinic, make sure that you got a physician ready at your beck and call.
Having these things ready will ensure that any accident that may happen in your office is treatable. Moreover, it also ensures that your company is prepared for everything.
Vehicular Accidents
Not many employers know this, but the company car can quickly become a ticking time bomb for many businesses. Vehicular accidents in the US are numerous, and you should always have plans when these vehicular accidents happen.
Many experts believe that it’s better to know a couple of lawyers regarding this kind of accident. You should get in touch with lawyers that specialize in car accidents. You might also need to know a DUI lawyer in rare instances. Employers may never know when your designated driver has drunk too much at an office party and offered to drive people home.
You can never know when a vehicular accident happens. It can happen during a daily operation or after an office party. That’s why preparing for the worse is better than not preparing at all.
Overtime Work
For many people, their livelihood has become their life. No other generation in this world’s history has embraced this idea. From the US experiencing a spike in overtime numbers to China creating its own culture that accepts 9 am to 9 pm work six times a week, overtime work is an insidious killer and one that can damage any company’s identity in the world.
People overworking themselves have the capability to cause 700,000 fatalities every year. It increases their chance for all sorts of diseases such as heart failure and diabetes. As an employer, the responsibility of stopping this is up to you.
You might not think that overtime work is not a work-related accident, but in reality, it is a work-related accident and one that’s very preventable. You can prevent overtime work by discouraging it. Make it an exception, not the rule of law in your office. Keep an eye out on employee performance, and tell them to get the rest they need. All of this can help reduce work-related accidents caused by overtime work.
Work-related accidents can cause you a lot of money, and in worse-case scenarios, they can cause you a life. Prevent this from happening by having the necessary precautions in place, regardless of the industry you find your company in.
