Injuries in the workplace can be common, and even in an office-based business, many hazards can lead to injury. Employers have a legal responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their employees, so what can be done to prevent injuries from occurring? There are steps that both employers and employees must take – read on to find out more.
Employers
Staff Training
It is vital that employers provide training to every staff member to carry out their role safely each day. Accidents and injuries often occur due to human error, so it is important that people know exactly what they should be doing. Additionally, employers can educate staff on the hazards with each task and how to follow safety measures. An injury that is suffered due to an employer’s negligence can lead to a personal injury claim, so you will want to avoid these at all costs with adequate training.
Protective Equipment
Employers must also provide staff with adequate and high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE). What is needed will depend on the role but could include goggles, helmets, gloves, visors, and ear defenders. Staff must always have access to this PPE, and there should be rules in place enforcing them to wear PPE when required.
Maintain Adequate Staffing Levels
Injuries often occur in the workplace when staff has too much work on their plate. Overworked employees might look for ways to cut corners that could be dangerous, suffer from exhaustion, or exceed their output and hurt themselves. This is why you need to maintain adequate staffing levels and to make sure that your team has a manageable workload at all times.
Employees
Ask For Help
One of the most important steps that employees can take is to ask for help when they need it. This might involve a task that you are unsure how to carry out safely or feel that you have too much work on your plate. It is better to ask for help instead of hurting yourself, so never shy away from speaking up if you need assistance.
Wear Correct PPE
As mentioned above, employers can do their bit by providing high-quality PPE (personal protective equipment), but it is down to the staff to wear the right items at the right time. Even if you know what you are doing, this equipment should always be worn to protect if anything goes wrong.
Keep Work Area Tidy
Trip hazards are one of the main causes of injury in the workplace and are nearly always avoidable. Therefore, you should keep your work area tidy at all times to prevent you or anyone else from falling over and hurting themselves.
Working together, employers and employees can prevent injuries and work in a safe environment each day.
Featured Photo by Los Muertos Crew from Pexels
