Did you know that more than 3,000,000 people were injured, and over 4,500 people died on the job in 2013 alone? It’s not easy working in a place where you’re uncomfortable. Being worried or uncertain of your safety in a work environment could drive you crazy and wipe out productivity. Take advantage of June being National Safety Month and promote a better workplace for you and your team.
Safety should be a priority at home, at the office, and in any field of work. While working at a web design company, or any desk job for that matter, may not be the riskiest of jobs, there are still things to do around an office to improve their safety.
Here are three routines to ensure a safe working environment:
1. Foster an environment where everyone takes care of each other
Caution means to have the presence of mind in recognizing dangers before they happen.
- Is your co-worker’s desk legs loose
- Is the office water cooler hovering near a breaker box?
- Does the printer have frayed wires?
- Is your chair backing loose?
Practicing caution with a strong presence of mind is key to keeping a safe office. Being mindful of potential accidents helps prevent actual accidents.
2. Create a stress-free environment
Stress makes everyone feel less than stellar, decreases productivity, and increases our potential for accidents. Stress also leads to sleeping issues, depression, and problems with concentration. Everyone has stress in their personal life. There’s no need to contribute to more stress. Help minimize that where you can by harboring a stress-free work environment.
Encourage staff to use their breaks wisely. Show them how they can spend those few minutes stretching, getting in some healthy nutrition, or just take a deep breath and let loose.
3. Say no to alcohol and drugs
This may sound like a no-brainer, but being impairment has no place at work. Unfortunately, drug and alcohol use is a leading cause of workplace accidents. As much as 10-20% of workplace injuries are related to drug or alcohol use. Even with the obviousness of work environments not being the best of places for drug or alcohol use, as much as 40% of industrial workplace fatalities are triggered by substance users.
No matter how you can improve your workplace safety, taking any step is better than nothing. Embrace National Safety Month and encourage a safer, more productive environment for you and your team.
