Keep Your Workers Safe with a Comprehensive Safety Strategy

Posted on: 4 August 2017

No matter what industry you work in, it is important to protect the health and safety of your employees. As the employer, you are responsible for taking the necessary steps to ensure that those who work for you are not injured, and if you fail to take those steps you could be liable for any problems that do occur.

Taking the time to do safety auditing and look for potential hazards in your workplace is an essential part of being an employer. Just take a look around your workplace and look for these potential hazards. If you spot any of these potential dangers, you need to act immediately. An unmitigated hazard is an accident waiting to happen, and the time to act is before that accident happens:

  • Spills and greasy spots that could present a tripping hazard.
  • Knives, scissors and other sharp instruments left unsecured around the workplace.
  • Ovens cooking appliances and hot oil that could present a scalding or burning hazard.
  • Potentially hazardous chemicals used in your business.
  • Sharp corners on countertops and tables.

You can mitigate these potential hazards by taking some common-sense precautions and establishing clear rules for your workers. For instance:

  • Keep a spill response unit handy at all times. Put down an absorbent material to soak up any spills right away, and make sure all employees are trained in proper spill response.
  • Establish a secure location for all knives and other sharp implements. Insist that employees place all knives back in the butcher block when they are finished with them.
  • Train employees to never leave hot kitchen appliances unattended, and do not allow customers or non-employees near those appliances.
  • Store all chemicals properly, and establish a clear company policy on the handling of those chemicals. Provide plenty of gloves, goggles and other safety equipment to employees, and insist that all workers use them.
  • Place rubber strips around all sharp edges and protuberances. Check all furniture regularly for potential hazards.

Protecting the people who make your business great is a vital part of your job as a business owner. No matter what kind of business you own or how long you have been in operation, it is important to be on the lookout for potential hazards and do what you can to mitigate them. The ideas listed above can help you get started, and you will no doubt think of a few other safety strategies along the way.

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