As a business owner, it is your responsibility to maintain a safe and secure work environment. Once you enhance safety in the workplace, your employees will focus on their duties, which will boost productivity and profitability. You should put the right measures to prevent illnesses, robbery, accidents, and injuries in the workplace. It is advisable to introduce a safety and health management system to protect workers and clients under your premises.


Whether you run a small or big business, you need to understand that injuries or other events can occur unexpectedly. Unfortunately, there exist some people that wish to cause harm to others, either to their personage or their property. Alternatively, natural disasters can happen at any time. Therefore, to avoid putting your workers at risk, you need to be prepared for such wide incidences. Installing the right security measures, equipment, and procedures will mitigate the risks, which will prevent such incidents from occurring. The measures will also help you to act should they happen. This article provides some essential tips for improving the safety of your workers and the workplace.

1. Invest in a Good Employee Training Program

After hiring new people to work for your company, you shouldn't allow them to start performing their duties without training them. It is advisable to educate them about how your organization operates. Moreover, you should create awareness about the hazards in the workplace. Every employee should know what to do and what not to do to prevent injuries and accidents. The training program must enlighten them how to handle workplace injuries, or what to do in the event of an emergency. Creating a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will ensure that each employee understands and performs their duties in compliance with industry safety standards. Even if your employees are experienced, it is advisable to train and review with them how to use machines and tools properly.


Reference: 16 Essential Steps to Writing Standard Operating Procedures | Process.st

2. Provide the Correct Safety Garments and Equipment

As an employer, it is your responsibility to provide the necessary safety equipment and garments to your workers. Wearing the correct safety equipment can minimize workplace accidents and injuries. The most common workplace safety equipment includes safety goggles, earplugs, masks, and gloves. You should make sure that every employee has on the right garment before performing his or her daily duties. Failure to wear the safety garments or equipment should lead to penalties or dismissal.

3. Inspect Your Surroundings Regularly

As a businessperson, you should be aware of your surroundings. You should check the condition of your structures frequently. For instance, you need to check your buildings for cracks, large debris, unlocked doors, and other potential hazards. This will help you to address them before a disaster occurs. Also, you should check the condition of your machinery. If your machines break down or fail to function efficiently, you should hire a specialist to repair them to avoid causing injuries to your workers.


Reference: Your Situational Awareness and its Role in the Workplace | SuperiorGlove

4. Encourage Your Employees to Speak Up When Necessary

When training your employees, you should tell them to stay vigilant when performing their activities. Moreover, it is advisable to encourage them to report any risks or workplace safety hazards to the supervisor. While some employees may be reluctant to "get other employees in trouble," remind them of the larger picture. It's a matter of safety, not only for the company, but for the individual performing the unsafe act, whether through misunderstanding of the action or deliberate negligence, and possibly even for the one reporting it. The supervisor should take care of the unsafe conditions immediately to prevent injuries or disasters from occurring.

5. Comply with Regulations

As an employer, you should learn the workplace rules and regulations set by the authorities. You must apply them in the workplace and ensure that every employee complies with them. For instance, if the authorities require you to install smoke and carbon monoxide in your property, you should adhere to those rules to protect your property and employees from fire and poisonous gasses.


Reference: Occupational Safety and Health Administration | OSHA

6. Fence Your Premises

A burglar can invade your premises, steal your hard-earned belongings, or cause injury to your employees. An unauthorized individual on the premise may, knowingly or unknowingly, leave pieces of equipment or your property in an unsafe manner, such as disabling safety breaks on heavy machinery. To prevent such an event from occurring, you should fence your property and keep intruders at bay.

7. Install a Good Security System

If you want to monitor every activity in your workplace, you need to install a good security system. The system will not only help you watch the performance of your employees but will also improve security at work. These systems can include security cameras, alarms, identification badges, and more. The cameras and id-enabled locks should be installed at the entry points to monitor every person getting into your compound. This will help you in restricting unauthorized people from accessing your premises.


Reference: Occupational Safety Solutions | WHS Management Systems


Lastly, you should establish a culture of safety in the workplace. The culture should encourage your employees to communicate their concerns. You should celebrate the success of your workers to boost their motivation. Once you celebrate them, they will know that their efforts are recognized and valued. Therefore, they will work hard to achieve their objectives and protect your premises. Disciplined employees will always go beyond the call of duty to make sure that there is safety in the workplace.


For more information on what you can do to provide the safest workplace for your employees, make sure to check out our blog!