Safety in the workplace should be the concern of business managers and staff. Your workplace should be as safe as possible. From a business perspective, you can avoid a lot of expenses in insurance and other costs for injured employees. For staff, you can avoid a lot of time off of work and pain due to an injury. Either way, everyone should want their workplace to be as safe as possible.
Fortunately, there are things that anyone can do to prevent workplace accidents. It just takes a few simple practices that, when done consistently, lower the chances of anyone being injured. Try these tips for preventing workplace accidents.
Wear Appropriate Shoes
One way that everyone can improve their safety in the workplace is by wearing appropriate shoes. There is a time and place for each type of shoe, and wearing the wrong type at the wrong time leads to a lot of workplace ankle injuries.
Another thing to consider is your ability to wear specific types of shoes. Some shoes are never appropriate for work, such as nine-inch stilettos which can make it hard to walk in any situation.
Before you put on a pair of shoes to wear to work, consider how it will affect the rest of your day. If you can see that you can easily be hurt in those shoes during your daily activities, it’s time to consider a different option.
Businesses can ensure that staff wears shoes that minimize potential accidents by making and enforcing a dress code. While it shouldn’t be overly strict, your dress code should outline which types of shoes are acceptable and under what conditions. That way, your staff knows what to wear and when.
Keep Walkways Clear
Another common problem in workplace safety is keeping walkways clear. It’s easy to bump into something when your walkways are filled with clutter. While it may not seem like much, it can lead to torn clothing, bruises, and even cuts from sharp edges. That’s not to mention the potential of breaking a toe by walking into something. All of this can be avoided by keeping walkways clear.
From a business management standpoint, this is also a legal requirement. Every walkway is a part of an emergency escape plan. Having piles of stuff stacked in walkways can make it harder to leave the building in an emergency. Avoid potential injuries and possible legal compliance issues by keeping things out of walkways.
Have Safety Procedures for Storing Equipment
Finally, have safety procedures for storing supplies and equipment to avoid major accidents. This is especially important in warehouses with overhead storage. Effective safety procedures can stop supplies and equipment from hurting others when not being attended to. All equipment should be treated as potentially dangerous, even when not in use.
Have procedures in place to make sure that everything is put away safely every time. OSHA and other regulatory agencies have processes for most work-related things. However, your company should check to see that every potential safety issue is addressed within your company’s internal safety policies.
On top of that, make sure that you enforce such policies. If those policies are being ignored, then they are not improving safety.
Contact a Georgia Workplace Accidents Attorney
Failing to take steps to make sure the workplace is safe can be a form of negligence and can get companies and individuals into legal trouble. Don’t be the one responsible for a workplace injury. Take action now to keep everyone safe.
If you are injured in a workplace accident, and there is negligence involved, it may be possible to take legal action and collect compensation. Before you do anything else, discuss your case with a personal injury attorney. Contact Joshua J. Smith Attorney at Law by calling us at (706) 217-2095 or filling out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.
