Safety is still a prevalent topic that needs to be kept front of mind - no matter how compliant your facility is, or how informed you assume your employees may be…
Facilities that prioritize workplace safety report fewer accidents and a higher productivity rate. The best tip for a safer facility is to make it visual. Hazard communication using labels and signage assists workers to clearly identify risks.
In this article, we provide a few reminders on workplace safety – a great read to share with all your colleagues and staff!
How safe is your workplace?
Standardizing all processes and procedures is the best way to establish an effective health and safety programme. This can be a costly exercise, especially when engaging with health & safety experts, but it is far less costly than the effect of an unmitigated risk. When it comes to safety, proactive planning should far outweigh reactive planning…
Steps to minimize safety risks in a facility:
1. Identify risks using labels
Run regular risk reviews to pinpoint potential safety hazards and ensure these risks are documented. Moreover, use hazard communication tools such as labels and safety markers to clearly identify risks to workers. A visual workplace is a safer workplace.
2. PPE or no entry
Workers must wear safety gear whilst on the premises. Foster an environment that places emphasis on personal safety – have visual reminders in change rooms and common areas. Most importantly, ensure workers understand that there is no compromise – PPE or no entry into the facility.
3. Restrict access
Only necessary & authorised personnel who are familiar with the technology should be granted access to your facility’s systems - especially fire, security and life safety equipment. If safety equipment is tampered with, it could be ineffective when it’s actually needed.
4. Continuous safety training and assessments
Employees should be so familiar with safety protocol that they should be able to recite it from memory! Couple periodic safety training sessions with mandatory drills and assessments to ensure all workers are familiar with procedure.
5. Take it back to the basics
Don’t assume that workers are knowledgeable on basic electrical safety practices. The amount of electrical safety accidents that take place is astronomical! Mitigate this risk by educating and reminding staff about electrical safety.
Here are a few basic electrical safety tips to adhere to:
- Only use portable equipment close to a plug
- Place clearly identified power switches close to fixed machinery
- Never pull a cable to release a plug from its socket
- Place clear markers or labels on faulty equipment and on dangerous equipment
Have you made your workplace visual?
It is vitally important to maintain a safe, compliant and visually instructive work environment. Hazards can be clearly articulated by printing safety labels and other important safety signage. This is especially effective when communicating hazards to a multi-lingual workforce. Instructions that are clearly visible and attention-grabbing can help reduce the risk of accidents.
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