Many businesses often make an effort at being safety compliant. There are usually safety protocols and procedures in place for obvious hazards such as notices about wet floors, luminous exit signs in the event of a fire outbreak or sudden power outage, and the occasional safety drills.
However, there are some safety regulations that businesses forget about unintentionally. These are not usually as obvious as some of those above, but they do make quite an impact if allowed to fester and get out of control.
Personal Safety
This is largely in the form of ignored stress. Stress is linked to productivity loss in the workplace, depression, heart attacks, and strokes. This means that if your working environment does not encourage healthy stress levels, the chances are that some of your workers’ personal safety will be at stake.
Now, this may not seem like much at first, but when you factor in the costs for every worker, you will find out how quickly stress costs add up.
Fire Drills and Safety Precautions
Many small businesses do not perform fire drills enough. Overlooking this is a dangerous practice that can result in the death of your employees. Stats released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that fires and explosions caused 3% of workplace fatalities in 2007.
It is not enough just to wear protective gear; you should also engage in periodic fire drills –whether you have just four employees or fifty. Major causes of fire outbreaks in the workplace include human error, flammable materials, faulty electrics, arson, and negligence.
So, in addition to fire drills, ensure that your workers are adequately informed of these in order to prevent possible sources of fire outbreaks.
Getting Adequate Rest
Workers sometimes suffer from acute fatigue in the workplace. This is usually caused by sleep deprivation and inadequate rest.
Studies have shown that when workers have had less than 5 hours of sleep or have been on the job for about 16 hours, they are more likely to make mistakes. So, if you want to get the best results from your workers on the job, you should not be compromising their safety.
No Use of Cell Phones on the Production Lines
You know how it is often said that you should not use your cell phone while driving? Well, the same goes for using one on the job. While the hazards of using phones on the production line are obvious, employers do not often consider high-traffic areas off the factory floor. In fact, anywhere outside the break room is a dangerous place to use a cell phone.
Unfortunately, there have been incidents of workplace accidents caused by the use of cell phones. For instance, it is possible for workers to get run over or run colleagues over, or collide with moving or stationary objects and structures because they were either texting or talking on the phone.
Employers must do everything to prevent this by enforcing a “no cell phone usage” policy at work, except during lunch or coffee breaks.
Prevention of Water Intrusion
Most companies are conscious about obvious water spills and leakages. These are hard to ignore. However, how about burst in-wall pipes or other forms of water intrusion and leakages that aren’t so obvious?
Companies need to check these out frequently because they can cause mold growth, which can in turn result in poor indoor air quality and air pollution. This poor indoor air quality leads to a wide variety of health issues.
By keeping these areas in mind, you can create a safer and more productive environment for your employees. Accidents do happen sometimes though, and in those cases I recommend turning to an organization qualified to give workman’s compensation care. One such company I would recommend is Workflow Orlando for those in the central Florida area.
The writer of this article, Oscar King, is a freelance writer who often specializes in topics pertaining to health and safety. He uses his writing to help business owners learn the essential practices for keeping their workers happy and healthy. If you wish to learn more about Oscar you can visit his profile on Google+.