According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “There were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2016, which occurred at a rate of 2.9 cases per 100 full-time employees.”
Although this was a small decrease from previous years, it shows there’s still room for improvement. Here’s how to encourage your managers to take responsibility for the safety of their teams along with some specific steps you can take to make your workplace as safe as possible.
Address Primary Hazards
Following basic rules and regulations is important, but often there’s more you can do. Therefore, it’s a good idea to go beyond the bare minimum and have your managers address your biggest hazards. From there, you’ll want to establish a list of procedures to follow in order to minimize those risks.
Some examples include:
- Having employees follow a safety checklist throughout the day
- Making weekly or even daily safety inspections part of a manager’s routine
- Holding periodic meetings to discuss the current state of safety and what everyone can do to improve problem areas
Seek Employee Feedback
It’s your employees who are usually down “in the trenches” and the ones who are most likely to spot safety hazards before anyone else. That’s why you should encourage them to immediately report any issues they come across and share their findings with managers. Having this type of open communication is essential for discovering minor problems before they escalate into something worse and allows you to stay proactive about safety.
Schedule an OSHA Consultation
OSHA offers businesses a free safety and health consultation program where they will visit your company and help you identify key hazards along with suggestions for improvements. It’s completely free, and you won’t incur any penalties if they find an issue. In fact, you may actually qualify for a one-year exemption from OSHA inspections.
Your only obligation is to fix serious safety issues in a timely manner. To learn more, just check out this resource from OSHA.
Getting your managers to buy into workplace safety is critical because they will ultimately influence the rest of your staff. The three strategies listed here should help your company make safety a priority and hopefully embed it into your culture.
Learn how we can help streamline your recruiting and find top talent in your industry. Contact Encadria Staffing Solutions today.