1. Maintain a clean work area. By removing many hazards and keeping it clean you provide a more productive and safer work environment for you and your employees.
2. Give clear work instructions. Make sure your employees know the correct way to do what you expect of them. Include safety instructions in every procedure you write.
3. Safety incentive programs shouldn’t be based on the idea that employees should be bribed not to stick their hand in a machine. Instead, assume your employees want to work safely and give them that chance.
4. If a machine is becoming unsafe, repair it or shut it down before someone gets hurt. The fines and consequences that will occur are much more than it would’ve been to fix the problem. Focus on what is most likely to occur in your workplace and spend your energy preventing your most common incidents. Don’t dwell on worst case scenarios. To do so, you must keep an accurate OSHA incident log. Dont know how? Contact MFAST
5. Get familiar with your employees and the work they do. Ensure all machines and workstations are installed and working properly. Even if you think you know how a machine works, try it again. Compare what people are doing to what is actually written in procedures and how tasks are actually verbalized; are they all consistent? Probably not.
6. Avoid unnecessary hazards. Look for new materials or equipment that can eliminate the hazards your workers are expose to. A strong preventive maintenance program makes for a strong safety program and helps even more. Insurance is essential.
7. Practice! Install fire alarms and practice fire drills. Depending on your location, practice tornado drills, practice hurricane drills, etc. During these practice sessions, ensure that all employees follow the rules (exp. getting low on the floor, closing windows and doors to contain the fire, etc.) Mark exits with noticeable signs so everyone knows where to go. No matter what, in an emergency, stay calm.
8. Slips, trips and falls are the number one leading cause of injury in the workplace. A major cause of these falls is the use of improper lifting techniques. No matter what industry you work in, when you are lifting on a continual basis you need to consider key points:
· Assess the situation and plan the lift.
· Make sure you have nonskid shoes and firm footing
· Bend your knees, tighten your stomach, and keep your back straight.
· Make sure you have a good grip on the item or person you’re lifting.
· Lift smoothly. A smooth lift means that you avoid twisting your body, point your feet in the direction you want to go, and push if possible rather than pull.
· For more information on proper lifting check out our Training Programs or Contact MFAST now!
9. Avoid heat-related stress. Symptoms of heat exhaustion or a heat stroke, includes confusion, irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, abnormally high body temperatures and hot, dry skin. Take preventative measures by reducing physical exertion, having your employees wear the correct clothing and provide easy access to water.
10. Maintain a clean work area. We state this again because simply by keeping your workplace clean, potential exposures and hazardous material and conditions can be dramatically reduced. Benefit from increases in employee productivity and morale even without a safety incentive.
