As far as occupational health and safety are concerned, the devil is always in the details. There will be countless safety hazards in every workplace and it’s up to employers to be aware of all of them. Some will be obvious to everyone while others will be easy to forget about or overlook.
It’s when hazards are overlooked that employees are at the most risk because they aren’t doing anything to mitigate the concerns. That’s why it’s important for companies to understand the types of hazards in the workplace that could be easily overlooked so that they aren’t caught off guard when it comes to protecting employees.
Unfortunately, not enough companies associate cleanliness with safety. But the truth is that maintaining a clean and organized workplace can eliminate all kinds of preventable hazards. It’s all about staying organized, staying clean, and picking up after yourself. If there is equipment that isn’t being used just lying around, piles of trash on the floor, or spills that haven’t been cleaned, they all make a workplace far more hazardous. Employees might trip and fall, leading to potentially disastrous outcomes. Just keeping floors clean and clear can go a long way toward improving safety.
It shouldn’t be hard to recognize that tired workers will be more prone to both mental and physical errors, leading to accidents and injuries in the workplace. In fact, there is data to suggest that tired workers are more likely to be involved in an accident. Yet, not enough companies do enough to recognize when workers are burnt out or too tired to perform their job as safely as possible. Employers need to make sure that employees aren’t working too many hours or overstraining themselves. They should also let workers know that it’s okay to call in sick if they feel too tired to do their job safely.
Most traditional office settings are getting better at recognizing ergonomic hazards. But this is a problem across all industries. Any kind of repetitive motion or overexertion can lead to problems over the long term, even if there is no short-term hazard to employee health. The key is to give employees training on ergonomic safety. Teach them the proper way to lift objects and move around. It can be equally important to give employees regular breaks during their shifts so that they can rest and stretch, especially if their job involves repetitive actions.
Noise can be one of the most overlooked hazards because it causes long-term health problems rather than short-term harm. But that doesn’t mean that employees shouldn’t be concerned with working in loud environments. If there are jobs that are abnormally loud, do them with as few employees as possible. It’s equally important to provide employees with earplugs or earmuffs if their environment is consistently noisy.
Poor communication in the workplace can be just as dangerous as any other hazard in the workplace. Employees and their supervisors need to have open, two-way communication when it comes to safety topics. If there are new protocols or concerns about safety, there needs to be clear communication so that everyone is on the same page when it comes to how safety is conducted.
Whether workplace hazards are obvious or overlooked, they can be addressed much more effectively with safety management software. EHS Insight provides a proven and comprehensive system of managing all aspects of workplace safety. Not only does our software save time and energy but it also helps create a safer work environment.
If you’re looking for outside help in creating the safest work environment possible, call us anytime and we can have our software operating in no time.