Accidents at work can happen to anybody at any time. An accident, by definition is something that happens unintentionally, however there are many cases in the workplace where injuries are the direct result of not following safety precautions.
It’s important for business owners and their employees to be aware of common accidents and how to avoid them. There are a number of common accidents to happen in a workplace, such as slips, trips, electrical and manual handling.
Most businesses have specific safety requirements put in place to prevent accidents from happening, however there are often human errors that fall through the cracks simply because they’re overlooked. Business owners and employees face different responsibilities, deadlines and internal pressures that may cause them to not pay close enough attention to potential hazards, and in other cases there may be hazards that an employer or managers aren’t aware of in the first place.
Avoid being involved in accidents at work by following these 5 tips.
Be alert
Having your wits about you and being alert during your time at work will prevent accidents from happening, as well as enhancing your performance and productivity. Most of the people who become involved with accidents at work are those who feel tired while working.
Regular risk assessments
A risk assessment is a thorough look at your workplace to identify situations, processes and equipment that may cause harm to people. After the premises has been assessed, business owners and employees can evaluate how likely and severe the risk is, and decide what measures should be in place to effectively prevent or control the harm from happening.
Report potential hazards and dangers
Employees should know from safety training, to report an accident when it happens, to prevent the accident from happening again. It’s important for employers to encourage their staff to bring any foreseeable danger to management’s attention as soon as possible.
Wear the right safety equipment
Before an employee starts the job, they should be provided with the correct uniform and safety equipment, such as hard hats, safety glasses and gloves. Different jobs will require different safety equipment, and it’s important for employers to inform their employees what equipment they will need prior to starting work.
Avoid shortcuts
Accidents at work can happen not because the safety precautions are unknown, but because people take short cuts when they’re familiar with their job or are in a hurry. It’s crucial for employees to take their time and pay complete concentration whilst at work, as that can be the difference between a minor injury and a life-threatening catastrophe.
If you have been unfortunate enough to have suffered a serious injury at work, you could be entitled to compensation. There are a number of serious injury companies such as First4SeriousInjury who can help you establish what you are entitled to.