Workplace injury is one of the biggest causes of absence in the workplace. Injury can be physical, but it can also refer to mental health ...
Workplace injury is
one of the biggest causes of absence in the workplace. Injury can be physical,
but it can also refer to mental health issues. It is estimated that 38.8 million workdays were lost in 2020 due to mental health issues, for
example, but this number can be severely reduced.
It is the job of the
business leader to ensure that their staff is following the correct health and
safety procedures to avoid injury; however, health and safety training is just
the start when it comes to workplace safety. There are some additional methods
that you can use to reduce injury in your workplace, many of which are easy
enough to implement. Read on to find out what these methods are.
Keep Safety Manuals
In Reach
You are often the
go-to person when your employees have questions about complex workplace
machinery or processes. Unfortunately, you cannot be everywhere at once.
Therefore, you can
reduce workplace injury by keeping step-by-step guides and user manuals close
to hand at all times. As part of your health and safety training, ensure that
you inform your staff about where these manuals can be found so that they never
have to face a safety concern uninformed.
Hire Enough Staff
An unfortunate cause of workplace injury is fatigue, especially in manual labor jobs such as
construction. The human body can only do so much physical activity without rest
before it breaks down, but your staff will be working to strict deadlines. Therefore,
it is common for workers to push themselves too far and make mistakes that
cause injury. Tiredness can have detrimental effects on both the mind and body.
Make sure that you have enough employees on board to get the job done safely
while also giving everyone on the site ample time to rest.
Put Up Reminders
A simple poster can go
a long way to improving safety in your workplace. It is easy for busy
individuals to forget key procedures, especially when they are working on their
own. Putting up safety posters in specific locations gives your staff a quick
reminder of what is expected of them in certain situations. This reminder can
be as simple as remembering to wear goggles while using a machine, a mistake
that is easily made.
Ergonomic Furniture
Busy construction
sites aren’t the only places where workplace injury can occur. The modern
office can also pose a danger to your health if you aren’t sensible. For
example, sitting incorrectly at a desk for too long can result in bodily cramps
or long-term pains.
The solution to this
issue is investing in furniture designed to reduce these complications. You can
choose to integrate ergonomic chairs to promote healthy posture or use an
ergonomic desk that suits your height. The height of your chair and desk can
help you sit more comfortably, which is good for your body. Desk and chair
height for employee health is a relatively new revelation in the business
world.
To learn more about this, you should read Branch Furniture’s guide on ergonomic chair height, which explains how office chair height can influence your comfort and health. You will find that you and your employees can work more comfortably in the office with ergonomic furniture, which will also help increase productivity.
Become Aware Of
Individual Needs
We have moved on quite
a lot as a society in terms of understanding individual needs in the workplace.
It is now common for an employee to come forward and reveal that they have a
physical or mental disability that can make their role more challenging. What’s
more, these issues can also make them more susceptible to workplace injury.
A physical disorder
like fibromyalgia can be manageable at times, but completely debilitating the
next. That is why you should get to know your employees and understand their
needs so that they can be properly supported in their roles. The same goes for
mental health issues as well. You can always allow employees with anxiety or
depression the time to step outside and recalibrate so that they aren’t
overwhelmed by certain situations and prone to mistakes. It is all about being
adaptable, and if you can achieve this, then you are on the path to reducing
workplace injury.
Always Stay Updated
Just as workplace
safety routines have changed in the last ten years, they are likely to change again in the near
future. As a result, you will need to keep one eye on the steps being made in
this field.
The workplace can only
change for the better with experience. Make sure that you are paying attention
to what is happening in the field of health and safety to ensure that you are
following the correct procedures, but also that you are keeping your employees
safe from harm.
Conclusion
You should already be aware
of the main health and safety principles that surround the workplace. These
tips are just a few extra ideas to get you thinking more about how you can
reduce injury in your workplace. The ideas presented do not take a lot of time
to implement, and you will always be grateful that you did.
