Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Even though your ultimate goal for your business is to generate profit, you must also consider the safety at your business for both your customers and staff. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Increase Safety At Your Business.
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Safety at your business begins and ends with you as a business owner. And you can rest easy knowing you have done all you can to avoid something terrible from happening. Yet knowing exactly what to do can be a challenge. So, here are some effective safety tips to get you started.
Keep Machinery Maintained
There are many reasons why it’s important to take care of machinery. You will have lower costs, need fewer repairs and replacements, and be able to file insurance claims easily. But keeping things in good shape is also great for safety. Machines that are taken care of are safer machines. Things like hydraulic repairs need to be done by experts, of course. But these cost a lot. You can cut costs and safety problems yourself by being proactive with regular inspections.
Train Your Employees
When it comes to training your staff, you have a lot of different options. You could teach people on the job, with group lectures, or even through an interactive online computer program. You’ll also have to choose the best person to teach your training. For example, you could ask a local community college for training. For something more complex, it isn’t uncommon for businesses to hire an independent health and safety consultant that’s always available on-site.
Safety at Your Business Includes Personal Health
Some experts will give you very detailed advice on how to avoid getting hurt at work. On-site health professionals will assist your business in keeping employees from getting hurt on the job. They help by going to your facilities and doing a full assessment to find places where accidents are more likely to happen. Occupational counselors and physical therapists can help improve office and workspace ergonomics to reduce things like reducing repetitive strain injuries (RSI).
Encourage a Culture of Safety
People talk a lot about company culture these days. But a lot of businesses forget to think about health and safety. Building and keeping a good safety culture is a process that is always changing and needs the help of everyone in an organization. You can stress health and safety so that everyone takes care of each other. Overall, the effort will lead to a better outlook on safety and fewer incidents and accidents that could end with tragic consequences.
Communicate with Established Symbols
In many fields, there are signs, symbols, and labels that tell people what they need to know. For example, if you can’t do something, you usually cross it out. Symbols are a quick and inexpensive way to get important information across. Most of the time, they are simple and use pictures to show risks and the right way to do things. Most of these symbols are known around the world, so they can be used to communicate across language barriers for foreign employees.
Summary
It’s always a good idea to look for ways to increase safety at your business. Even with a sterling safety record, there’s always more that can be done, and it is ongoing. Some effective ways include machinery maintenance, personal employee health, and symbolic communication.
