31 May Staying Safe on the Job: Workplace Safety Tips
One of the most important things you can do every day in your workplace is to engage in workplace safety measures. Abiding by safety tips and guidelines at work allows you to protect yourself and your coworkers from injuries, illnesses, and other accidents that could occur on the job. Proper workplace safety precautions also help to promote higher levels of productivity and boost company morale, especially when everyone feels safe and comfortable working together.
Explore workplace safety tips to become more aware of your surroundings at work and reduce the risk of injury and accidents:
Complete all Required Training: When you begin the onboarding process of a new job, it’s essential that you pay attention to and complete all required training. Oftentimes, this training will direct you with safety tips, such as where to go during an emergency, how to report concerns, and protective measures to take to reduce injury or illness in the workplace. Make sure you complete this training and any others that may arise over the course of your time in the position, especially as safety measures are updated. Your human resources department should work to ensure that each employee is caught up on all training and knows how to stay safe at the company.
Know Your Workspace: Take a minute to visualize your workspace. Do you know where the nearest fire exit is? Where is the smoke detector? Do you know where to retreat in case of a weather-related emergency? Where is the fire extinguisher located? If you can’t answer these questions confidently, you may need to brush up on the geography of your workspace or ask a member of your team for help. These answers could be potentially life-saving depending on the situation.
Understand How Machinery Works: When dealing with heavy machinery, or even machinery that requires a license to operate, it is vital to be well-versed in how the machinery works and the risks involved in using it. In order to form this understanding, complete all required courses, pieces of training, and readings on how to operate machinery that could produce hazards. Wear protective gear when required such as helmets, gloves, goggles, and masks. Additionally, make sure to ask questions about anything you’re unsure of before putting machinery to use.
Take Heat Safety Precautions: Summer is here, and with it comes beautiful days and hot temperatures. If proper safety precautions are not taken, workers could suffer from heat illness. If conditions are too hot, consider finding a shaded area to rest, avoid energy drinks, and understand your own personal risk factors. You have the right as a worker to voice your concern about unsafe working conditions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers a Heat Safety Tool, which is an app that can be downloaded on your phone to detect the heat index for outdoor workers. This mobile application provides you with valuable insight into the risk level for those working outside and gives you helpful tips such as reminders to stay hydrated, take breaks, and how to identify signs of heat illness.
Report Safety Concerns: If you or a coworker feel unsafe in any workplace situation, report your safety concerns to HR or a manager. Your concerns are valid and promote company safety, so if you feel that you aren’t being protected or fear getting injured, let someone know as soon as possible.
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