Identifying Workplace Hazards

The U.S. Bureau of Labor estimates there are 2.9 injuries for every 100 workers, making employee injury a major concern for every business. A big part of keeping everyone safe and preventing injuries is identifying workplace hazards. Here are some particular ones that should be on your radar.

Exhaustion

This is the biggest concern pound-for-pound given that overexertion was the leading cause of workplace injury in 2015. Even the fittest, most experienced and highly trained workers are susceptible if they’ve been pushed beyond their limits and are on the brink of exhaustion. Often, many injuries could have been avoided entirely if workers were simply given adequate time to rest throughout the day. That’s why you should always give your employees periodic breaks so they can relax and recuperate.

Stress

When a worker is stressed, they’re far more likely to make poor decisions that could ultimately end up harming themselves or someone else. Having to meet super tight deadlines or dealing with a lack of manpower are just a couple of issues that can lead to stress. As a result, you should be diligent about not putting your employees in this type of position if all possible.

Proper planning and scheduling are extremely important for preventing this. And if you find yourself consistently understaffed, you may want to consider partnering with a staffing agency.

Taking Shortcuts

Here’s the scenario. An employee has been properly trained and knows the safety precautions they should take when performing a job. But they bypass them and take a short cut to save time. This is just inviting trouble and sets the stage for critical errors, which is why you should instruct managers to constantly reinforce procedures.

Failing to Clean Workstations

Studies have found, “Over one million Americans suffer a slip, trip and fall injury every year, and 20-30 percent will suffer moderate to severe injuries as a result.” But many of these could be avoided by being thorough about cleaning workstations, which is why you should be serious about routine cleaning and organizing and may want to require each employee to complete a cleaning checklist during their shift.

Workplace injuries are no laughing matter and can occur when you least expect it. One of the best ways to minimize the threat in your company is to understand the specific hazards listed here and take measures to eliminate them.

Looking to improve your recruiting and find top industry talent? Contact Encadria Staffing Solutions today.

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