Nothing kills a company image like a major safety violation or a public fiasco involving injured employees. In order to better promote your companies image you will need to develop and promote a safe work environment. Every workplace is unique but there are different ways you can increase the safety of your employees and customers including a safety plan, OSHA safety training, and promoting safe practices. All workplaces have certain things in common: they all contain, or are monitored by, persons. They all take up either virtual or actual space, often both. Every workplace requires specific materials, observes certain protocols, and fulfils planned functions. Every workplace should be a safe place, and every worker a safe worker.
It is the responsibility of the employer to provide safe and healthy working conditions and materials, from ergonomic keyboards to full-body protective gear, and to provide suitable safety training.
Some things employers should do to promote safety are:
- Know and implement Company, State, and OSHA safety policies
- Provide safety training at initial hiring and regularly over time
- Be aware of and make any reasonable adjustments to equipment or environment
- See that tools and machinery are maintained and kept safe
It is the responsibility of the workers to maintain their safe surroundings:
- Make use of any personal protective gear deemed advisable
- Eat and drink only in designated areas
- Take an active part in learning and implementing safe work habits
- Exercise due caution at all times
It is also necessary that all signs, placards, warning labels and the like are posted where they will be seen. Such notices are meant to convey important safety information, such as:
- Restricted areas
- Evacuation routes
- Required procedures
- Required PPE gear
- Prohibited activities
- Dangerous chemicals
Some sorts of accidents can occur in almost any workplace, such as spills or falls, and often the difference between a low accident rate and a higher rate is nothing more than good housekeeping – keep the floors clear, don’t block the stairs, don’t overload shelves, or climb unsafe structures. Learn how to lift objects properly. Protect all electrical outlets and cords. Scaffolds and ladders provide many opportunities for a misstep and should be equipped with handrails.
A safe working environment is built through relentless effort. If the process is successful, the end result is will a culture of safety throughout the workplace where safety issues are addressed before they can develop into dangers. For that to happen, both employers and employees need to consider basic issues such as these:
- Does everyone at the worksite understand OHSA regulations, policies, and procedures?
- Are such issues as temperature and ventilation adequately addressed?
- Are adequate first aid facilities available?
- Has sufficient training taken place so that safety procedures such as evacuation and emergency backup plans are well understood?
- Have workers been trained on the equipment they are to operate, any PPE gear they are to use, and all safe work practices?
- Is the lighting adequate? Is hearing protection available where needed?
- Is there a regular safety training program in place?
- Are ‘No Smoking’ areas established and clearly marked and monitored?
Most dangers and difficulties can be avoided or limited. When an employee is injured, his return to work may be an excellent time to review safety procedures with the group. Certainly, equipment and machinery should be monitored and maintained regularly. PPEs, or personal protective equipment, should be available, trained on, and used. It takes only one “just this once” event to bring grief to the workplace and shatter the public image of the company. In short, developing and maintaining a safe working environment is a cooperative and ongoing effort, one which pays big dividends for both the company and the individual. It may seem like you can overlook this aspect of “marketing” but once incident could have devastating results for your company if you aren’t careful.
