The 2012 National Public Health Week, which was commemorated April 2nd to April 8th, encourages companies to take action on some of the top workplace safety tips to keep their employees and customers safe.
Productivity losses tend to cost a company more than the medical costs associated with a workplace incident. Therefore, companies should consider some of these basic, but important, health and safety tips to ensure their workers are safe regardless of the industry they are in.
Studies by Centers for Disease Control indicate that productivity losses for companies are 24.5 days per incident per employee for injuries and sickness classified as “Other Unspecified” or “Other Specified.” The productivity losses are largely due to issues that are relatively minor in nature and can, therefore, be eliminated or reduced with proper workplace safety training.
First Aid Training and Education
Companies should teach their employees the proper applications and uses for all first aid products. A first aid cabinet should be readily available and employees should be trained on the variety of products it contains.
Stay Home While Sick
Though some companies would rather have a sick worker in the workplace than deal with a worker being absent, experts recommend that companies encourage employees who are sick to stay home. Exposing coworkers to the illness can result in a higher productivity loss down the road. Cross infections can result in multiple employees missing out on work.
Provide Appropriate Safety Gear
According to OSHA standards, employers should provide workers with the correct Personal Protection Equipment. OSHA recommends companies not only provide the required equipment, but also train employees extensively on how to use personal protection gear effectively to prevent workplace injuries.
Feedback and Concerns
Employees will often spot safety issues in their line of work earlier than management. Therefore, providing a safety feedback or bulletin board where employees can voice their concerns about workplace health and safety can be a great starting point for a safety partnership. By getting early warnings on workplace safety issues, management can be proactive in providing a safe workplace and in encouraging a culture of safety.