Safe Workplace

5 Steps To Creating A Safe Workplace

Keeping your workplace safe for your assets and your employees is critical and should be a top priority. Hanging up a handful of safety posters on the production floor and in the breakroom are not enough; fostering and promoting a safe workplace takes tangible proactive measures. Consider implementing these 5 steps as part of your efforts to create a safe workplace:

Run Pre-Employment Background Checks On All New Hires.

The statistics about the costs of unsafe hires are alarming. Hiring the wrong employee, one who is not qualified for the job at hand or who has disqualifying criminal behavior in their past leaves your company exposed to high legal, financial, and safety risks. Professional background screenings are a reasonable component of any program designed to create a safe workplace.

Implement A Clear Drug And Alcohol Policy.

Deter drug and alcohol use on the job with employment drug testing and communicate clear policies regarding random and for-cause drug testing for all employees. Impaired workers are costly; they are less productive and more prone to accidents than their sober counterparts.

Train, Train, Train.

Training is vital to workplace safety. And not just safety training; employees who are well trained in all their job responsibilities will, by definition, be safer than employees who are shaky about how things need to be done. Train new workers and require seasoned employees to take refresher courses on all topics relating to the ability to work safely.

Take Good Health Seriously.

Health is at the top of everyone’s minds lately, but a pandemic isn’t the only reason to take good health seriously. Sick workers are expensive. Take measures to keep your crew healthy by encouraging good hygiene, make cleaning and disinfecting surfaces a priority, and enact policies that make employees feel safe about taking a sick day when they don’t feel well.

Develop A Safety Plan.

Safe Workplace

Your municipality likely has regulations in place requiring you to have a safety plan. Make certain you are compliant with all your local laws regarding safety planning. Identify potential hazards and take steps to mitigate these hazards and respond in case of an emergency.

Safety For All

Creating and maintaining a safe workplace is sound business advice. Responding after an adverse event is always more costly than prevention. Following these five principles will help you foster a culture of safety in your workplace.