Reducing Workplace Injuries: What You Should Know

Injuries that occur in the many varied places where people work are a big reason emergency rooms across the country are busy seeing people all day every day. Some jobs come with an inherent and significant risk such as mining or work that requires a lot of heavy lifting and hauling to be done by hand. But what a lot of people do not think of is the fact that a lot of seemingly more innocent jobs and workplaces harbor plenty of hazards and health safety risks. No one is immune from an injury they get while on the job or from the job itself, from crane operators to cubicle workers.

Injuries that occur on the job or in the place of work are costly in many ways. For one, of course, there is the monetary cost. Work place injuries take money to pay for and depending on the injury or how it occurred, that cost will likely fall – either directly or indirectly through such things as increased insurance costs – on the shoulders of the employer. Either way, there is more than just the cost of paying for the immediate treatment of the injury to think about.

In addition to the initial treatments, injuries from work will keep the employee from being able to return to work, sometimes for long periods of time. This means lost revenue for the employer as well as potentially additional costs to hire and train new help to replace the absent employee will be incurred. If the injured employee requires long periods of costly rehabilitation or therapy, the cost for that will have to be paid for as well.

Workplace Injury Prevention:

The bottom line is, it’s just not worth it to not take prevention of injuries in the workplace very seriously. The first step in prevention of such injuries and health hazards is to be aware of the fact that they can happen to any person, at any time, in any occupation and at any job site whether it is a big mill or a small office. The second step is to implement all necessary and reasonably feasible precautionary measures to minimize the risks and hazards in the place of work, in the behavior of employees, and, to the extent possible, in the description of the job itself.

Here are a few tips to help you minimize the chances for an injury in the workplace:

Clear all physical obstacles

Don’t let something that would have been easily preventable now become something that is difficult to deal with later. Make sure there are no cords across walkways, slick floors that could have water spilled on them and become a slippery hazard, etc.

Mix up tasks for employees

Give people some variety in their daily life at work. Not only will it stimulate their minds better but it will keep them from getting a repetitive stress injury. This can apply to both people who have to do heavy lifting every day to keep them from hurting their backs or desk workers.

Have an on-site clinic and medical staff

Even if it’s only a small facility, having a well-stocked on-site work clinic with a properly trained doctor or nurse available to treat minor injuries or medical emergencies can be a great help to keep a small issue from becoming a big one. At the very least, ensuring the proper medical equipment are on hand is a must.

Properly train all employees

With proper training you’re doing your due diligence to keep your employees safe. Have monthly meetings to teach new practices, monitor the safety of employees regularly, discipline employees who are not taking proper precautions, and developing the proper manuals for new employees to gain information about your safety practices.

Each of these tips should help you reduce workplace injuries, and be well on your way to reducing costs on the job, and the safety of your employees.