One of the most important aspects of running a business is ensuring you and your employees' safety. Not only will it keep your company safe from possible legal issues, but it will also ensure that production and business remain running smoothly. If you are new to a company, you might not think the small safety rules are essential or much different than the ones at your previous location. But that is not the case for most professions.
Your position might be the same in various industries such as construction, health and science, government, and even food. However, safety rules and regulations might differ vastly. Your new place of employment might have previously encountered issues you are not aware are possible. Something as small as wearing jewelry to work or keeping your hair pulled back can put you at risk of numerous hazards.
Usually, as a new employee, you will go through an onboarding or training process before being put on the job. One of the items discussed will be workplace safety. Be sure to pay extra attention to this section, as it will teach you what you need to brief new hires on safety protocols to protect yourself and those around you from workplace hazards.
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Construction workers often suffer back injuries: It is essential with any construction-oriented job to ensure your employees are aware of the dangers of heavy lifting. There are ways to prevent these injuries, such as lifting your legs and not your back. Back braces and harnesses are usually available to employees who regularly lift heavy objects. Even twisting the wrong way while carrying something can cause serious injury. This is something that is often overlooked by construction workers.
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Construction workers often forget to wear their safety gear: Wearing your PPE, personal protective equipment, is often overlooked. Human Resources will often feel redundant for needing to constantly remind workers to wear safety glasses, safety vests, and proper clothing. This may seem tedious, but following these rules can be the difference in whether your employees go home safe or not. It is important to brief your employees on the proper PPE they are required to wear to ensure their safety so they can continue to get the job done.
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Keep healthcare workers free of bloodborne pathogens: Our healthcare workers are one of the most influential people to protect. It is essential to remind them to practice proper hand hygiene, keep their instruments clean and decontaminated, and use antiseptics before surgical procedures and I.V. injections. This will not only keep them safe from bloodborne pathogens but their patients as well.
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Chemicals can be dangerous: Briefing your healthcare workers on chemical hazard safety is essential in maintaining healthy employees. Some substances like mercury, phthalates, and triclosan can cause serious harm to your workers. These employees must be trained on how to properly handle these chemicals, what PPE to wear, and how to handle a situation in which a spill occurs.
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Government research lab housekeeping: Your new science lab employees need to know what items in the laboratory need upkeep and tidiness to maintain a safe workspace. It is important to brief your employees on the possibilities of spills and broken glass if lab equipment is not put away when not being used.
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Electrical hazards: Some laboratories' research equipment includes high voltage objects. It is important to brief your new hires on the steps necessary to prevent injury or death from electrical components' misuse.
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Meat separation: You may think food safety protocols should be common sense. If you can cook at home, you can safely cook at work, right? Wrong. Handling food for work purposes usually entails a more extensive variety of meats. It is essential to keep certain roots separate from others. Different meats contain different bacteria that, when mixed, can cross-contaminate. Cross-contamination of certain foods can result in a very sick person. You must train your new staff on what foods can and cannot be mixed.
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Raw meat: It is known that meat must be cooked to a specific temperature to ensure the person consuming it does not get food poisoning. Different foods have different temperatures they must be at to be considered safe for consumption.
Dangers of Not Knowing Safety Protocols
When you or your employees fail to follow safety protocols, severe injury or death can occur. Your employees can harm themselves or others if they do not wear their PPE, keep their workstations tidy, have different meats when cooking or storing food, and so much more. Workplace injuries can lead your company into lengthy and expensive lawsuits. They could leave you feeling guilty if you did not do your part to brief your employees on the necessary safety protocols.
Written by Taylor McKnight, Author for LOC Scientific
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