unsafe working conditions

Employers in all industries have been gaining understanding and perspective on workplace safety in recent times. It is too crucial to let go or undermine in times where employment law has been gaining popularity and wide ranging implementation. Workplace injuries cost your employees a lot more than their health – entire families that are dependent on their earnings have their livelihoods compromised due to an accident that could have been avoided by taking simple measures by the administration.

Other than the implications for your employees and their families, not investing in workplace safety can cost them dearly in the long run which would include costs associated with compensating workers, paying huge premiums, dealing with legal cases, etc.

Employers can save themselves the trouble caused because of unsafe working conditions by simply taking measures as detailed below:

Have a safety program

Employers should have a safety program in place that regularly discusses the intricacies surrounding workplace safety with their employees. The responsibilities of the employers, what is required from the employees, the benefits and the consequences – all details should be discussed thoroughly in the said program.

Have performance measures

If your supervisors do not have a measure of employer safety precautions, they would not be able to fulfil any requirements. Hence, you should have a performance measure system to help your supervisors self-monitor their performance and ensure that all safe practices are being followed as and when required.

Get insurance

In order to truly protect yourself and your employees in case of workplace safety issues, you should get insurance for all your employees. That way, you would in turn be regulated to be in touch with the latest workplace safety requirements, while ensuring a cushion in case something unfortunate happens.

Set an example

As an employer, you need to set precedent and follow workplace safety requirements yourself before expecting your team to do so. Your team looks up to you and if you do not demonstrate taking workplace safety requirements seriously, neither would your team.

Have open communication channels

You should have open communication channels to address any concerns that your employee must have with you. This is because your employees must have previously worked with other organizations where safety protocols meant something else, and you wouldn’t want your employees to experience any contradiction or confusion regarding what’s expected of them.

Contrary to popular opinion, developing and implementing a workplace safety program is not mere theory. It is preceded by theory and research, but requires extensive ground work for its implementation. It is much more than writing and publishing a safety manual that no one will ever bother reading – it requires and entails actually caring for the people who work for you. The money that you invest in your employees never goes to waste. In fact, it returns in the form of their dedication and hard work for your company. The more you care for and provide for your employees, the more they are bound to respect you and perform for your success and progress.