WORKPLACE INJURY PREVENTION

As a business owner, a safe working environment is important to protect your employees. While accidents happen, there are steps to take that will minimize the risk of employees having injuries in the workplace.

Common Types of Injuries

While the types of injuries can vary greatly by industry, the most common injuries tend to be in the following categories:

• Repetitive use injuries are frequently seen in processing, manufacturing, and office industries and include injuries that are from repetitive motion done over extended periods.
• Slips and Falls happen in any industry and are one of the most common types of Workers’ Compensation claims.
• Strains are common in industries that involve lifting or carrying and usually involve back, shoulder, or neck strains.
• Collisions and Crashes can happen not only in company vehicles, but can also occur from forklift accidents.
• Cuts are especially common in the restaurant industry and construction, but can also happen in industries where knives, bladed equipment, or even box cutters are in use.

Preventing Workplace Injuries

Prevention steps can be tailored to industry-specific hazards, but some basic categories span multiple industries.

• Regular inspections of the premises and all equipment are necessary. A checklist can be used to help minimize anything being overlooked. Regular maintenance on equipment should be done to make sure everything is in good condition and working order.
• Clear immediate hazards when they happen, such as spills, leaks, or any issues on the premises, such as a broken door, ripped carpet, or stacked boxes that hinder entrance or exits.
• Protective equipment should be provided when required.
• Have a workplace injury prevention plan.

Workplace Injury Prevention Plan

Having a workplace injury prevention plan is a necessary step for businesses of all sizes. Even a small business can benefit from having a plan in place to help meet safety goals and reduce costs associated with workplace injuries.

Creating a program can be daunting, but OSHA has a Safety and Health Program Recommended Practices guide that helps business owners create their own Program.

The Core Elements of their program are summarized below, and you can click the headings to go to the OSHA page with detailed information on each :

1. Management Leadership – The idea behind this is that businesses make worker safety a core value and provide resources, tools, and a commitment to workplace safety and health.
2. Worker Participation – Having all employees participate, including input on creation, improvements, and effectiveness of the program, is vital to its success.
3. Hazard Identification and Assessment – To prevent injuries, hazards need to be identified so that they can be removed or corrected.
4. Hazard Prevention and Control – Once hazards are identified, steps can be taken to prevent or control them, and plans put in place for how to handle existing and possible hazards in the future.
5. Education and Training – Having employees who have training, either Peer-to-peer, on-the-job, or classroom training, helps for both safety and productivity by giving them the skills to do their job safely.
6. Program Evaluation and Improvement – Once a program is created, safety goals should continue to be evaluated, and the overall effectiveness of the program should be evaluated as well.

OSHA has a Step-By-Step Guide program that is under development. They have worksheets available for businesses to use to help create or improve a safety program for their business.