The price of safety: 5 essential precautions which will save you money
Running a business comes with risks, and safety can be one of the largest. If your business deals with machinery, physical labor, or potentially harmful chemicals, then safety precautions are paramount. An injury in your workforce can be a heavy blow, but more importantly, it can be avoided. Let’s take a look at some essential safety tips for your business.
Power tools
Power tools can be extremely dangerous, and when your employee spends all day using one, the chances of slipping up can increase. From table saw accidents to careless lawnmowing, power tool accidents account for around 8% of industrial accidents.
The most basic solution is to make sure all your protective gear is always worn, updated, and maintained. Professionally train as many employees as possible on each tool so you don’t have to rely on one staff member to use it every day. With multiple experts, you can cycle the duties, that way if one person is feeling a little tired, they can pass the tool over to a trusted partner.
In the loop
Keep your staff updated and involved. Whenever something changes there should be a staff meeting and announcement, publicise all changes to regulations as soon as they happen and as clearly as you can. Keep a record of these announcements and a register to ensure everybody was present. Having the paperwork to prove every employee attended your safety announcement could really help you out if somebody moves to a lawsuit against your company for their own mistake.
Insurance and coverage
Being properly insured is essential to both the stability of your business and the welfare of your employees. It’s very important to know your policies inside out, understand the difference between health insurance and workers’ compensation, and work with a professional agent to provide you with the best policies. Being on top of your insurance really does pay off, so checking over all your policies should be a part of your regular routine.
Timing and tracking
You need to be fully in control to manage a safe workplace. Any manager should feel confident with everything that is going on under their roof, and to do that, you need to know that your employees are in the right place at the right time.
Using a timesheet and attendance app means that you know exactly when your employees arrived and how long they stayed, which is handy for book-keeping as well as ensuring that nobody is over-working. An even better perk from a safety perspective is that you’ll know exactly how many people are in the building at any time, and you can even see exactly what they’re working on that day.
Report and catalog
Technology is always moving to help us out in the workplace. While your employees are using an app to log their timesheets, they could also be using an app to report and catalog any hazards or concerns. Doing this gives your employees an easy way to share any concerns, and it gives you a perfect overview of your site from the ground level.
