When it comes to safety equipment it seems that even if available, workforces do not use it consistently leading to injuries and deaths that could be prevented.
Statistics tell us that eye injuries are very common. Such injuries are totally preventable by the use of safety glasses, and most workers do have some, but not all wear them, or they do not wear them all the time. Falls is the number one cause of injuries and death in the construction industry and such tragedies could be prevented by using harness equipment. Numerous workers develop hearing impairment from loud noises in the workplace and if they consistently used hearing protection such losses could be prevented. In road construction, there are numerous injuries and deaths from year to year that could be decreased by proper use of high visibility clothing.
Most companies do provide safety equipment and train their employees how to use it, but year after year workplace accidents happen. So, what is a company to do?
Develop a Safety Policy
The policy should include safety standards, requirement for use of certain equipment, disciplinary actions to be taken if workers refuse to comply, and perhaps a bonus system to encourage workers to be safe. Training schedules should be included in the policy. For instance, long training may be provided once a year, with quarterly reminder sessions. You do need to check safety regulations in your industry to see the frequency required by the government.
Supply Safety supply chain management course Equipment
Not only should equipment and workwear be provided by the company, but the workers should also be trained how to use each item properly. Use of safety glasses is pretty simple, equipment maintenance near me but fall harnesses that are not used properly can actually cause injuries instead of preventing them. Respiratory equipment may also be somewhat complicated to some workers.
Provide Safety Training
Training should be concentrated on educating employees of the company’s policies. Equipment use can be included. This type of training gives the company the possibility of making safety measures real to the employees. It might be more effective if injured workers talked to the workforce or if families of those deceased by work-related accidents shared their story. This type of involvement may open the eyes of the workers in regard to possibilities if they do not use the equipment in accordance with their intended use.
Enforce the Policies
Enforcement is where many companies fail. You can have a perfect policy, engage in regular training and provide all of the needed equipment and still experience senseless injuries and deaths due to workers refusing to comply. If the company enforces their policy bringing discipline to non-compliant workers, before long, most workers will comply to avoid the disciplinary action.
