How employers can improve workplace safety

Business owners and human resources staff in South Carolina may want to consider how safe their workplaces are. Accidents can happen in any type of workplace from construction sites to offices. The first step is to take stock of the workplace’s physical environment as well as any risks. This includes taking into account risks for employees who travel for the company.

Another consideration is cultural risks such as potentially negative interactions employees may have with others inside and outside of the company. It also includes high-stress environments that might affect the health of employees. This stress may be exacerbated if people are performing tasks that are outside of their job descriptions and that they are not trained for. Employers should take care to delegate effectively to keep workers from becoming overwhelmed.

Human resources staff should also look at whether employees are following safety guidelines and taking safety training seriously. If not, they should find out why. For example, employees may be skipping steps to save time, or they may not remember certain steps. Finally, with all of these points taken into account, human resources professionals should ask themselves how they can create a safety culture within the company. In a workplace with a strong safety culture, employees are invested in their own safety and that of their coworkers.

Despite precautions such as these, employees may still suffer injuries on the job or illnesses as a result of the workplace environment. These could range from back injuries to repetitive stress injuries to catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord injuries or amputations. Most injured or sick employees are eligible for workers’ compensation although many employees may not be familiar with their rights. Workers might want to consult an attorney to discuss filing a workers’ compensation claim and what protections are available to them.