Millions of people are injured in workplace accidents every year.
In addition, workplace fatalities number in the thousands. If you run a business, then your greatest fear is seeing one of your employees get seriously injured on the job.
Keeping employees safe should always be a number one priority, but you can’t do that without understanding the causes of workplace accidents. In this post, we’re going to delve into workplace safety by talking about these causes.
No matter what your business does, it’s important to do your best to maintain a level of safety in the workplace. Keep reading, and you’ll be able to avoid serious workplace injuries.
Improper Lifting
So many workplace injuries result from improper lifting techniques. If your office or warehouse requires employees to lift heavy items, then you need to train them on how to lift things properly.
It’s all about getting low and lifting with your legs. Plenty of people bend at the hips when they lift, which puts unnecessary strain on your back. If you do this over and over, you’re inevitably going to suffer a back injury.
Handling Chemicals and Hazardous Materials
Improper handling of chemicals and hazardous materials can be incredibly dangerous for your employees. Again, it’s all about education when it comes to chemicals and hazardous materials, so it’s important for your employees to review a material safety data sheet from SDSonline.
Provide your employees with the proper PPE and make it a rule that they have to use it when handling materials. Education and protective equipment can go a long way in preventing a disastrous injury.
Stress and Fatigue
When your employees are overworked and tired, the likelihood of someone letting their guard down increases drastically. If you have employees doing lots of manual labor for an entire shift, it’s in everyone’s best interest to give them regular breaks so they can recover.
It also comes back to workplace culture. If you put your workers under too much stress, accidents are bound to happen.
Slips, Trips, Falls
Slip, and falls are among the more common workplace accidents. A lot of the time, this comes as a result of poor housekeeping. If you’ve got clutter, dirt, debris, and spills all over the warehouse floor, you’re going to end up with banged-up workers.
Hiring a commercial cleaning service is going to be a lot cheaper than continuing to pay out workers’ comp settlements.
Equipment Issues
When the most serious workplace injuries happen, it’s when someone’s working with heavy machinery. One lapse in judgment and someone could lose a finger or an eye – or worse, their life.
If you’re running a warehouse with lots of equipment, make sure that your employees are all very well trained. They should be wearing the proper safety wear and should understand the importance of all of the safety practices that you put in place.
Avoiding Workplace Accidents At All Costs
These are the most common reasons that workplace accidents occur. Now, it’s time for you to start to implement policies and measures to reduce their likelihood. It’s worth investing in workplace safety to avoid the damage that workplace accidents do to your business and your employees.
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