One of the most important aspects of any business is ensuring the safety of employees. In order to maintain a safe work environment, employees must follow the company’s safety protocols. Here are three tips to ensure that employees stay safe on the job.
Job Shadowing
Job shadowing is an effective way to find out if an employee is following proper safety protocols. With job shadowing, a new employee will observe a more experienced worker during their shift. This will allow the new employee to observe how to safely perform their duties when they are on the job. Job shadowing is an excellent option for both interns and new employees.
Inspecting Safety Equipment
An employee can follow every safety protocol. However, if the equipment is not safe, then a serious workplace injury could be imminent. The safety inspection team should inspect all safety equipment on a regular basis. The safety inspection team should check the condition of the equipment and note potential problems. If necessary, any damaged or outdated safety equipment should be identified for repair or replacement. There are laws stating it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure equipment fits. To minimize liability, your business should have all of its equipment tested on a regular basis, even if the inspections are not mandated by local, state and federal laws.
Continuing Safety Training
To ensure that employees stay safe, a business should engage in continual safety training. It is a good idea for an employee to engage in safety training at least once a year. During the annual safety training session, the employee should learn the latest safety protocols. This will ensure that all of your employees have the latest training and can minimize any liability for workplace mishaps. A great way to structure job safety training is to implement job hazard analysis across all departments. From there, organize the training into easy-to-digest chunks that will allow the employees to understand the most important parts of the safety training.
With continuing education, job shadowing and regular equipment inspections, you can create a safe work environment. If you own a small business, this is something you should keep a close watch on yourself. Owners of larger businesses should make sure they have a dedicated team of safety inspectors who can stay on top of the employees from day to day. With a safe workplace, your team can be productive while reducing the risk of liability to your business.
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