As a business owner or manager, ensuring that your company is a safe place to work helps keep employee morale high, as well as maintains a clean company safety record.
Here are seven of the most common Workplace Safety Hazards that business owners of all sizes should address if they witness these infractions taking place on their premises.
Misuse or Nonuse of Safety Equipment – Safety should always be a primary focus of every business operation. Depending on the industry you’re in, safety requirements can range from wearing protective eyewear and earplugs to making sure that your security cameras are all functioning correctly.
By enforcing the use of safety equipment in your business dealings, you’re taking the right steps to stay on the right side of the law, while providing a more secure place to work. Further, failure to follow all applicable safety rules and requirements could result in costly fines and penalties from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)
Insufficient Training – In skilled trades, such as technology, manufacturing, and construction, assigning a person who isn’t sufficiently trained for the job puts your employees–and your company–at risk. By making sure that every new employee either has the requisite skills and experience, in addition to thorough job training, you’re taking steps to decrease the likelihood of technical mistakes and on the job injuries.
When employees get hurt on the job, this unfortunate event can cost a lot of money by way of Workmen’s Compensation, and possible fines and penalties getting assessed by OSHA. It is always worth taking the extra time to confirm that new employees have undergone all aspects of your orientation and training before leaving them on their own to work independently.
Inadequate Lighting – It goes without saying that poor lighting can contribute to many types of safety hazards. When a work environment isn’t well lit, employees and guests could get injured due to trips and falls or eyestrain from not having enough light available to see. By keeping all areas of your business well lit, you increase the safety standards across the board.