Safety is of course a vital issue at work and I’m sure most managers would agree that they don’t want any accidents on the job. But are you and your employees keeping safety top of mind? I would hope any companies whose employees work outside these days are taking precautions from the heat as that’s clearly been a concern with all the record highs. But people can get hurt even in office environments.
When you have an incident at work, what do you do? Is it a quick check to make sure the employee doesn’t need medical attention and then everyone moves on? If they do need medical attention, do they get it and return to work and as though nothing really happened?
Each and every time there is an incident that could result in an injury, even if no injury actually occurred, you should conduct a review.
That may seem over the top, but if you’re not focused on safety, how can you expect your staff to be? Sometimes minor incidents can be the precursor to major ones, and taking a moment to try to reduce or eliminate any escalation is worthwhile.
Investigating incidents does not have to be long and drawn out. Many can be easily explained and perhaps just a reminder to staff to be more aware. But sometimes there are training issues or potential hazards that can be reduced or eliminated. Who wouldn’t want to identify those before anyone gets really hurt?
Some industries are much more prone to injuries, of course, and maintaining awareness is vital. Where back injuries are common, for example, there should be constant vigilance to ensure staff are using proper bending/lifting techniques. Safety should be part of everyone’s culture.
Keeping employees safe must be part of every managers job description, and we all need to remind our employees that their safety is important.
When’s the last time you thought about it?
Comments