How to avoid work accidents in your company?

All jobs are exposed to most accidents and this trend keeps increasing. This happens mainly because of 3 reasons: ignorance, little to no training and lack of awareness or involvement of both company and the workers.

How can you make your company a safe place and not lose money with accidents at work? Before moving on to the topic at hand today, I would like to point out that the associated costs associated with the lack of occupational risk prevention in companies are very high. Another day we will speak at length about it. Now, let's look at the basics and essentials that you need to put in place to have a safe, healthy and competitive company.

It seems logical that companies should be a safe place to work, but not all companies take care of that "small" detail (irony 100%).

Are you one of the companies that is affected by the accident rate? We’re going to show you 8 keys that you can apply from today to prevent and reduce the number of accidents in your company.

How can you reduce workplace accidents and make your company a safe space?

All jobs are exposed to most accidents and this trend keeps increasing. This happens mainly because of 3 reasons: ignorance, little to no training and lack of awareness or involvement of both company and the workers.

In prevention we have a basic premise: "identify it before it happens". To avoid an accident, it is best to be prepared and "see it coming." In fact, this is the first key that I would like to emphasize.

We are going to see 8 keys that will allow you to reduce the number of accidents in your company.

These are the 8 keys to reduce the number of accidents in your company

1. Study the terrain

Knowing the risks that may be associated with each job in your company will give you an advantage to avoid them. I recommend that you make a list identifying all those possible risks that could jeopardize the functionality of your company in order to establish the necessary measures to, on the one hand, prevent it from happening and, on the other, be prepared in case it happens.

2. Prepare for action

Assess risks, prioritize, and plan for changes. Once you have the list with the risks, establish with what you can equip all those spaces that need elements for the prevention of these risks. Obviously, depending on the sector, the equipment will be different. For example, ergonomic chairs for offices, helmets and / or gloves for industrial companies, etc.

3. Training

When you have already identified the risks and planned the necessary equipment, you must train and inform your company staff so that they know what to do and what not to do. Remember that for preventive training to be effective you must do it from the perspective of improving the worker's perception of risk.

4. Action plan for emergencies

Develops an action manual to have a protocol planned and established in the event of accidents. Thus, your workers will know how to act in case of being involved in a work accident, or have to provide help.

5. Order and cleanliness

Make sure that the workspaces maintain a protocol of hygiene and basic and strict order to avoid unnecessary risks.

6. Keep your workers from being distracted

Try to make your employees aware of what they are doing at all times to avoid distractions and possible injuries. That is, all workers must be aware at all times of the movements, tasks and actions that their work entails. By paying attention, employees will do exactly what they have been taught: how to type on the computer, how to sit correctly in a chair to avoid future pain and illness, how to manipulate machinery, how to lift a box, how to make hotel beds, etc. (We insist, depending on the sector).

7. Encourage workers

Value a job well done and their effort, and invite them to always ask when in doubt.

You may also like to read our workplace safety articles to keep you inform on how to make your company safe and to avoid any accidents.

8. Invest in occupational risk prevention

Hire specialized advice if necessary. Let yourself be helped and make your company a safe company to work for.

5 phases to reduce accidents in the company

By having these 5 phases covered, you will reduce accidents with minimal effort (in addition to preventing and minimizing the risk factor).

1. The first phase is to carry out a preventive audit in your company that reflects the current situation in which it is, and determine and implement the necessary preventive and / or corrective measures.
2. Then, make your workers perceive the risk to which they are exposed and formalize what is necessary so that they become aware of how to perform their work safely
3. In the third phase, you must establish policies and good preventive practices among your employees.
4. Once all of the above is done, create channels that promote fluid and active preventive communication between all the teams in your company.
5. And finally, invest in technology and standards to effectively integrate prevention into your company's management system.

Start applying these 8 keys and you will avoid workplace accidents

Employees are people, and as such they are susceptible to mistakes (like everyone else). Teach them how to make their workplace safe and provide the tools to do so. There is nothing more essential than making health and safety the most important asset of your company. Your collaborators will thank you.

Now it's your turn to act! Take into account each of the keys and decide what steps you should take in each of them. Start immediately to improve the security levels of your company. And remember ... " without action there is no prevention."