If you own an organization and a bunch of people are working under you, it's your responsibility to ensure their safety. As per ILO (International Labour Organization) around 2.3 million employees die per year due to accidents happening at the workplace.
Moreover, ILO estimates that it costs around 3 trillion dollars globally to deal with Workplace accidents each year. Therefore all organisations must observe Workplace safety rules and be mindful of the points mentioned below.
Understanding OSHA and Other Regulations
One of the main advocates for employees' safety is Osha. Osha provides guidelines for Workplace safety and by understanding those guidelines one can make their Workplace a safe haven for their Workers. The employer can make themselves aware of Osha and other regulations about Workplace safety and then implement those in their organization.
Duty to Provide a Safe Workplace
Around 50% of the world's working population has to spend half of their day at their workplace. Therefore the organisation head has to provide a safer environment where workers can safely spend their time working without fearing for their lives.
Risk Assessment and Hazard Identification
One of the first steps toward the safety of your employees is to assess the risks present at the workplace and identify the Hazards. Employers can collect data through workers as they know their work environment better. Besides, the employers themselves can assess the workplace and take notes of anything that is malfunctioning.
Implementing Safety Policies and Procedures
A 5% rise in fatalities at work has been seen from 2021 to 2022 as per Bureau of Labor statistics. These statistics are sad, however, these accidents can be avoided if the organization implements proper safety policies and urges the workers to follow safety principles. Moreover, the employer is responsible for narrating the safety policies to the workers and training them for dangerous situations.
Providing Training and Education for Employees
As discussed earlier employers should provide training and educate their employees about the safety policies and procedures. Training your employees plays a great role in avoiding stressful situations and their outcomes.
The organizations can train their new employees as soon as they hire them and can also organize Training sessions from time to time to emphasize new safety protocols. Each employee should know how and when to report any potential hazard. Moreover, the employer should ensure that employees know how to tackle dangerous situations at the workplace and resort to safety.
Ensuring Proper Equipment and Resources
The majority of Workplace accidents are caused by equipment and a lack of resources. Most of the employees die when any equipment or machinery malfunction happens.
Reports show that workplace machinery was the third major cause of death at the workplace in the US around the late 90s. Therefore it is pertinent for the employer to make sure they have no safety hazards related to their equipment and have enough resources.
Maintaining Safety Records and Documentation
Another safety protocol that employers can follow is to keep proper records of safety training, accidents, and safety-related information. All the documents should be kept safe and available at all times.
Conducting Regular Inspections and Audits
If you want to control Workplace injuries and accidents you can arrange internal and external audits frequently. Internal audits will help your organization identify your weaknesses in the safety area.
This way you as an employer can plan better and can ensure your employees' safety. You can even arrange external audits for a third-party inspection and Let them make a comprehensive report on your workplace safety policies.
Responding to Safety Concerns and Incidents
Accidents can happen anytime at the workplace and the best way to respond is by understanding the flaw in your system. If you encounter any accident at the workplace make sure to look into all the safety concerns and reasons relevant to the incident and resolve them.
Communicating Safety Information Effectively
Another way to ensure the well-being of your employees is to make sure that they are well-informed of the dangers that they can encounter at the workplace and how to deal with those dangers.
For this, you need to Effectively communicate safety information and make sure every employee knows when he has to report any irregularities in Workplace safety. Moreover, make them well aware of the procedures they have to follow in case of any unfortunate event that can endanger their safety.
Promoting a Culture of Safety and Accountability
Safer workspaces have a safety and Accountability culture. The employees at safe workplaces know they are safe and they can work without any fear. They know if they do not report irregularities they will be accountable for endangering several lives. As an employer, you have to make sure you work towards promoting this culture of safety and Accountability.
Consequences of Non-Compliance with Employer Responsibilities
One of the worst things for the safety of the workplace is non-compliance with employers' responsibilities and it has dire consequences. These consequences include financial penalties, legal repercussions, damage to the reputation, and the worst one, employee death or injury. These consequences can be avoided with proper planning and seriousness toward employee safety protocols.
Tips for Employers to Enhance Workplace Safety Practices
- Arrange proper training sessions for the employees and make sure to stay updated with recent safety protocols followed by leading organizations
- Arrange safety programs and encourage your workers to be a part of them and learn about Workplace safety
- Make sure to arrange external and internal safety audits once or twice a year
- Train your employees to report any potential hazard and for that implement a reliable reporting system
- Document everything relevant to workplace safety and let everyone in the organization access it
- Do not ignore minor hazards as they can be the starting of a bigger disaster
In conclusion, ensuring workplace safety is the responsibility of the employer and can be ensured by implementing safety practices and regulations.
