Between the employer and the employee, a healthy working relationship needs to be established, wherein the employee does the job for the company while the employer provides him due benefit. This also includes providing all employees with a safe and secure work environment.
Now the safety of the workplace does not solely depend on whether or not your company is following the best policies and guidelines. A safe workplace also depends on how well your employees and managers communicate and execute these safety standards.
With this in mind, are you certain that you are protecting your employees while they work? Here are some things to ponder on.
Physical hazards
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips, falls, and trips were in second place as the leading cause of nonfatal injuries or illnesses in the workplace. Following OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces Standard that require all workplaces to be “kept clean and in sanitary condition,” your office or establishment should be clean and dry to prevent unwanted accidents.
Keep an eye out for spills, leaks, and damaged floorings. Your employees will find it difficult to work effectively when their workplace has safety hazards in every turn.
For more at-risk industries such as transport and construction, it is all the more important to clear your workplace of clutter and to require your employees with proper safety equipment such as hard hats, gloves, and safety goggles.
Workplace stress
Your employees’ health is an important factor to consider when it comes to cultivating a safe work environment. Based on an article by the American Institute of Stress, the workload composes about 46% of the stress that employees feel, followed by people issues at 28% and work-life balance and job security at 6 percent.
As an employer, it is essential to keep a positive atmosphere in the workplace by reducing stressors as much as possible. Simply providing quick pick-me-up activities to get them off their chair each day can give them a much needed break.
You can even start to practice a flexible work environment that will allow your employees to spend more time with their families, especially those who have children to take care of.
Drug and alcohol abuse
Having employees under the influence of drugs and alcohol can be detrimental and expensive for your business. Not only is it linked to absenteeism and lost productivity, but also to theft, fatalities, and injury in the workplace.
Since drugs and alcohol are known to affect a person’s judgment, motor control, coordination, and alertness, your business will face a number of risks with these problematic employees around.
While it is easy to lay off these kinds of employees, the workplace can be an effective place to address drug and alcohol issues. By encouraging them to undergo marijuana testing and supporting treatment in the process, employers can significantly reduce the negative impact that such issues bring into the workplace, all while reducing the company’s costs.
Lastly, make sure that your workplace safety efforts are not put to waste by encouraging employees to actively participate in the process. Learning that both employer and employee are on the same page makes all the difference.
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