Did you know that, according to Business Insider, American companies pay an average of $48.6 billion for work-related injuries and illnesses and compensation costs? Lackadaisical safety polices can financially devastate your company. Keep your employees productive and healthy by following these tips.
Follow OSHA Regulations
Last year, workers reported 2,976,400 occupational illnesses and injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). One of the smartest ways to cover all of your bases and promote occupational safety is to enforce OSHA regulations. Regulations range from electrical precautions and procedures, such as lockout/tagout, to emergency preparedness drills. Business owners can use the U.S. Department of Labor’s free online tools to assess the need and/or opportunity for preventative procedures.
Use Protective Tools, Equipment, and Gear
Business owners should identify hazards and plan accordingly. For example, industrial and manufacturing workers face a number of different occupational hazards, including electrocutions, burns, and other serious accidents. These hazards can be reigned in with careful wire management. Circular or oblong rubber grommets protect electrical wiring from jagged metal pieces inside machinery or parts. Heavy-duty grommets also withstand high temperatures and maintain their original shape under pressure. Workers in most industrial settings should also wear hearing protectors, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, and hardhats.
Discourage Manual Lifting
Finally, improper manual lifting leaves many Americans physically unable to work. In fact, at least one quarter of missed work injuries can be attributed to repetitive strain, such as lifting. Using simple tools, such as forklifts, leveling feet, and p clamps to help stabilize, hold, or lift equipment can dramatically reduce the likelihood of injury. For example, leveling feet help raise machinery and can even stabilize equipment and parts on uneven flooring. Both leveling feet and p clamps support heavy parts, preventing sudden impact and other accidental injury.
Keeping workers safe is in everyone’s best interest. Save money, keep workers healthy and productive, and avoid lawsuits by enforcing OSHA regulations, using protective tools and equipment, and discouraging manual lifting whenever possible.