Business owners are responsible for creating a safe workplace for their employees. Although accidents can always happen, many are caused by preventable situations. In 2024, private employers reported around 2.5 million nonfatal work-related illnesses and injuries. Since having accidents occur in your workplace can lead to costly legal situations and expensive drops in productivity, it’s worth doing your part to keep everyone safe.
Provide Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment includes hard hats, goggles, gloves and other gear that is designed to help employees stay safe in hazardous work conditions. Employers are typically required to cover the cost of PPE when it is necessary to safely perform a work task.
Since this type of equipment can prevent serious and life-threatening injuries, it’s typically best to go above and beyond with this provision. You’ll also want to implement requirements to wear PPE and appoint supervisors to conduct routine checks to ensure that the employees wear them during their workday.
Plan Regular Safety Trainings
New hires should always have safety training to ensure that they know how to avoid injuries and illness exposures in the workplace. It’s also important to provide long-term employees with refresher courses. Reminding your employees how to lift properly and respond to unsafe conditions helps to keep safety at the front of everyone’s minds.
Conduct Frequent Safety Inspections
The safety of a workplace can quickly decline over time as equipment breaks, buildings deteriorate and employees begin to relax in upholding the standards. Conducting regular risk assessments is one strategy that can catch issues such as a rickety ladder before they lead to an accident. Make sure to provide inspectors with a prompt method for reporting and addressing safety risks and keep records of each inspection that include the corrective actions that your team put in place.
Optimize Workstations for Better Ergonomics
Repetitive stress injuries and strains are becoming increasingly common in the workplace. While most construction workers know to avoid certain postures when they use heavy equipment, it is easy to overlook how working on a computer at a desk can eventually add up to carpal tunnel injuries and other health conditions. Making sure that your employees have safe, ergonomic tools, furniture and equipment can go a long way towards preventing repetitive strain on their joints and ligaments.
Plan for Slip-and-Fall Accident Prevention
Many injuries occur due to temporary safety hazards that won’t usually show up during routine inspections. All it takes is an icy sidewalk or spilled bucket of fluids to rapidly escalate slip-and-fall risks. Make sure housekeeping staff uses warning signs for wet floors. You’ll also want to set up cleaning stations that allow your team to quickly clean up spills and other safety hazards.
Remember to Include Mental Health Needs
Depending on the types of work duties your employees perform, they may be at risk for developing mental health conditions. According to OSHA, employers are only required to record mental health conditions when the employee provides documentation from a health care professional who states that it is work-related.
It is still important to provide your employees with information and training that can prevent issues such as trauma from worsening. For instance, you may need to establish policies for leave for emergency responders who are exposed to a traumatic event.
As a business owner, you’ll also want to make sure that you comply with all of the requirements that apply to your company regarding workers’ compensation insurance and upholding safety standards in the workplace. Reporting injuries and referring your employees to the appropriate medical facility as needed is also important for maintaining responsibility for your workforce. Making injury prevention an important part of your business plan not only helps everyone to stay safe, but you’ll also do your part to maintain a positive reputation in the community.
