5 Tips for Keeping Your Employees Safe at Work

A workplace needs to be a safe and secure environment for the employees to perform good work. Preventing work-related accidents needs to be every employer’s priority, which is why you need to know how to keep your employees safe. Don’t risk having one or more employees injured just because you were lazy to educate yourself on the essential work safety rules. Today, we have listed five tips to help you make your workplace a much safer place for everyone. 

Hang warning labels and signs

Do your employees and other site visitors have appropriate signs to point them in the right direction? Is the site secured well with warning labels and signage that emphasises if construction work is in progress? If not, that’s the first thing you need to change and update, according to Australian safety experts. Communicate important information quickly, with cost-effective labels and signage. Warning labels and signs are highly informative, featuring descriptive pictures and text that warn and remind everyone what to pay attention to. 

Keep the sites clean and clutter-free

One of the most hazardous workplaces is a messy workplace. Leaving tools and equipment in plain sight where someone can trip and injure themselves is a big no-no. So, one of the best practices to prevent injuries and increase workplace safety is to take care of any sharp objects, electric tools, wires, and cables and store them safely in a box, crate or cabinet. If you spill any hazardous liquid, quickly wipe it with appropriate tools and make sure you use protective glasses if the fumes can hurt your eyes. Take care of any tangled cords, messy floors, and disorganised tools. 

Wear the safety gear

Safety gear is essential when you want to protect yourself in the workplace. That’s especially true for people working at construction sites where you can easily have a heavy object fall on you and where accidents are more likely to happen. Do you work at a construction site in Australia? Equip all the employees with appropriate workwear. You can find high-quality men’s workwear in Australia and provide everything from trousers to long-sleeve jackets and hoodies to your employees. In addition, include workplace appropriate safety gear such as industrial workwear, fire-retardant clothing and reflective gear if necessary. Non-slip shoes can make a lot of difference in the workplace, so check if your employees would benefit from wearing them. If there’s plenty of debris, dust or toxic chemicals at the site, include a breathing mask into must-have safety gear.

Use the right tools and perform regular equipment inspections

You can’t have a safe working environment without using the right tools and equipment. Aside from investing in new, high-quality gear, you’ll also need to inspect it regularly for any potential malfunctions. Check if the safety harnesses are whole and functioning well. Always clean the tools after using them and service all the machines regularly to avoid sudden malfunctions. Talk to workers about any previous accidents and injuries, and re-evaluate the procedures that have or haven’t been previously followed. 

Take regular breaks

Exhaustion is one of the worst enemies of the workforce. So, it’s essential that you have a regular break rule that everyone needs to follow. Workers can only be safe if they’re working with their 100% strength, motivation and focus. You can’t expect them to be motivated or productive if they’re tired and unable to concentrate on work. Two 30-minute breaks and at least two 10-minute ones in between will be enough for everyone to be at their highest productivity level every day. On top of that, they will not be at risk of hurting themselves after being too tired to pay attention to the use of dangerous tools and machinery. Introduce stretch breaks to improve employee health and workplace ergonomics. 

Final thoughts

Keeping everyone safe in the workplace is of the essence. Everyone should know that they’re not in harm’s way when they come to work. To do that it’s necessary to evaluate the situation on-site and make the required changes. Equip everyone with safety gear and perform regular inspections. Keeping a clutter-free workspace is also crucial to keep everyone safe. As long as you follow all the tips we’ve mentioned, you’ll be able to offer everyone a safe workplace.