Companies have a lot of goals they want to accomplish. They may want to grow quicker, develop better products, and have the best customer service in the world. However, one of their biggest goals should be to provide a safe environment for their employees to work in.
Workplace safety is an incredibly important topic that leadership teams should always have in mind. Workplace safety evolves as the world evolves, so new ideas on how to make the workplace safe could come about every day. If you’re trying to think of some new workplace safety ideas to implement in your organization, take a look at these 10.
Make Cleaning A Priority
One of the most important workplace safety ideas companies should explore right now is formulating a thorough and effective cleaning strategy. As of April 25, 2020, there are 928,619 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way businesses operate, and that includes the way their work space is cleaned. Going forward, many businesses may prioritize properly cleaning their facilities over anything else.
Numerous businesses are still working remotely, but they could return to their facilities at some point in the future. Before their employees return, their facilities must be properly cleaned. If a company doesn’t already have cleaning service, it should look into hiring professional cleaners to come in and thoroughly clean the workplace before employees return.
The company should also invest in products like hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes for when employees return. Company leaders may also want to consider creating social distancing guidelines and creating an office space that adheres to health guidelines. Also, the company’s robust cleaning strategy shouldn’t end once employees return. Management should keep cleanliness a top priority, as it will help keep employees healthy.
Check Your Fire Sprinkler System
Think about it: when was the last time your company had its fire sprinkler system checked? If it’s been a while, then it’s time to get the system inspected.
It can be easy to neglect the safety status of your sprinkler system. For the most part, the system is out of sight and out of mind. Everyone expects it to work if it’s needed. However, there could be underlying issues that could cause the system to fail. For starters, someone could have shut the system off at some point and forgot to turn it back on. Or, one of the system’s valves could be corroded and not working properly. Both of these situations put employees at risk. That’s why checking the system should be a priority when evaluating workplace safety ideas.
You may also find that your fire sprinkler system is out of date and not designed well. If this is the case, research fire sprinkler design companies in your area. These companies will be able to give you a firm answer on whether or not your fire sprinkler system is effective and safe. If it isn’t, they will be able to help you design a system that is up-to-date and safe.
Invest In A Security System
As you’re thinking of workplace safety ideas to explore, one of the bigger ones to consider is investing in a security system. Your workplace houses a lot of valuable things. There’s equipment, such as computers and other pieces of technology, and there are also personnel files that have sensitive information about your employees. You want to make sure your capital investments and your employees’ files are safe.
One way to protect these things is to invest in a security system. This system could be as simple or as robust as you want it to be. You could have security cameras installed and get badge-activated entrances set up for your company. Or, you could invest in hiring a security guard or two to help you keep things in check. It all depends on your budget and your security needs.
Security should be at the top of your mind, especially if you are remodeling or updating your workspace. Entrances could be accidentally left open, or doors may not be locked up at the end of the night. This leaves your workspace vulnerable to external threats. If you’d rather be safe than sorry, investing in a security system may be your best option and give you some peace of mind.
Make Necessary Repairs
There may be things in your facility that are broken and leaving your company and its assets vulnerable. When talking about workplace safety ideas, you and your team should focus on repairing anything that could cause security issues. For example, your company may have a garage that holds company vehicles. If the garage door is broken, company property could potentially be damaged or stolen. This could be caused by a minor issue, like a garage door spring being faulty or rusty. If that’s the case, you could look into garage door spring repair and ensure your company’s property is in a safe place.
Another thing you should check is if your locks need repairing. You may think your lock system works great, but there could be issues that you aren’t seeing. There could also be an issue with an entrance you don’t use often, so you may not recognize the issue right away. Check the entrances and exits of your building and test the locks. If you notice your locks aren’t working, call a locksmith and see if they can fix it. If you need the locks fixed as soon as possible, call a 24 hour locksmith and ask if they can make a stop by your building. The sooner you get this issue fixed, the better.
Check The Air
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), companies in the United States have a responsibility to create a safe workplace for their employees. Part of creating a safe workplace is checking that the air employees breathe is safe.
Companies should check their facilities’ indoor air quality. OSHA defines indoor air quality as how inside air can affect a person’s health, comfort, and ability to work. It can include factors such as bad ventilation, chemical exposure, and temperature. OSHA doesn’t have exact indoor air quality standards, but it does suggest that indoor air quality should be at a comfortable humidity and temperature, as well as good supply of fresh air.
If you notice the air in your workplace is more humid than usual and is drastically warmer, you should check the air quality. Breathing in poorly ventilated air can cause employees to get headaches, feel nauseous, or even develop breathing problems over time. To keep your employees safe, make sure to check your building’s indoor air quality when jotting down your workplace safety ideas.
Keep Hazardous Materials Away From Employees
Companies within the United States must provide a safe working environment for their employees. Part of keeping the workplace safe is keeping any hazardous materials away from workers. When thinking of workplace safety ideas to check on and implement, this should be one of the first ones to evaluate.
If you do have hazardous materials in your workplace, make sure they are safely secured and kept away from unauthorized and untrained personnel. Make sure that those who are authorized to access these materials are properly trained to do so and know the risks associated with interacting with them. You should also make sure that your staff has the proper personal protection equipment on hand when handling these hazardous materials.
It’s also important to have a plan in case an accident happens on the job. If you don’t have one yet, come up with a procedure your staff can follow if an accident occurs. You should also have the phone numbers to various safety and medical organizations at hand, including a 24/7 urgent care, the local hospital, and the fire department.
Properly Train Your Staff
You can have all the proper procedures set up. You could think of all the workplace safety ideas possible and create guidelines about them. However, these procedures won’t mean anything unless your staff is properly trained on them.
Take the time to draw up safety training procedures for all your employees. These procedures should outline what employees must do in emergency situations. These situations include a fire breaking out and hazardous materials being spilled. These procedures should be well thought out and reviewed by senior members of the company. Once they’re approved, these procedures should be printed out for employees. You should also go over the procedures with your employees in person so they can ask questions.
Invest In Insurance
This is one of those workplace safety ideas that helps both the company and its employees. Investing in the proper insurance can help protect the company and its staff in case accidents happens on the job.
If your company hasn’t yet, look into commercial insurance. This kind of insurance helps companies get different kinds of coverage, including property and liability. This type of insurance can also help businesses cover things like business interruption and equipment breakdown.
If you need help determining what kind of coverage your business should get, talk with senior management and its owner (if you don’t own the business yourself). The business could also find an attorney to go through all the legal responsibilities of having insurance. That way, you have all the proper information to give to upper management and your employees.
Create A Low-Stress Environment
There’s no doubt that workplace stress can lead to the creation of an unwelcoming and unsafe environment. If you want to look out for your employees’ overall health and well-being, do everything you can to create a low-stress environment.
Work will be stressful from time to time. However, there are steps a company can take to minimize the stress it puts on workers. For starters, a company can clearly lay out expectations and guidelines for its employees. This will help workers set realistic and achievable goals, and they can work with management to develop a plan to reach these goals. If employees don’t know what their expectations are, it can cause them to stress over their work. Being crystal clear on what is expected from them can help reduce stress.
Another way to reduce stress for your employees is to make sure your business is running properly. Make sure your safety and operations procedures are legitimate and legal. If the company is running into legal issues, it could cause employees to stress about their job security. Or worse, they could be stressed if they were unknowingly involved in illegal activity. Your employees should be focusing on their work, not worrying if they need bail bond and have to testify in court.
Make sure everything in your company is running the way it should be. If the company is having tax issues, find the best tax lawyer and see what you can do. If there’s a breach of contract with a partner that could cost the company money, make sure you settle things properly. A company’s employees shouldn’t be stressing about their company’s legal situation, so make sure the company runs smoothly and legitimately.
Encourage Light Exercise
Sitting at a desk all day can hinder an employee’s health and safety. Light exercise throughout the day is good for men’s and womens health, so you could encourage your employees to take a walk at lunch or during their breaks. The company could also invest in some exercise equipment and create a gym for employees.
You may not have thought about encouraging exercise when brainstorming workplace safety ideas, but this idea can go a long way. The more your employees exercise, the more alert they’ll be. The more alert they are, the more aware they become of potential safety issues and will work to avoid them. Exercise can also help employees clear their mind and reset their focus during the day, which can help their productivity.
Safety should be a priority at a company. Workplace safety is a crucial concept that protects employees and the company itself. There are numerous ways a company can ensure its workspace is safe, but workplace safety goes beyond preparing for accidents. Companies should also look at how their company culture impacts workplace safety and work-life balance. Focusing on the physical and emotional well-being of employees will help a company be truly safe in 2020.