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Spotting Safety Risks And Hazards In The Workplace

Angus Rhodes
Spotting Safety Risks and Hazards in the workplace

Surprising or not, the most common causes of workplace injuries and illnesses are usually quite minor and easy to fix. For most companies, the key to spotting the everyday risks and hazards that are likely to generate the most incidents is simply collecting data on these incidents, spotting trends, and then communicating the problems through the entire organization.

However, not only do managers need to help employees learn to spot common risks, they need to empower all workers with the tools to either report the problem or fix it. The entire culture of a company should be based upon the premise that the only right way to accomplish a job is the safe way. 

 What Are the Most Common Accidents That Happen in the Workplace?

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), these are the four types of common hazards found in the workplace

  • Physical hazards: Physical hazards are the most common, and some typical examples include items left where they can get tripped over, unsecured scaffolding or ladders, spills, and exposed moving parts on machines.
  • Ergonomic hazards: These types of workplace problems cause injuries because they put strain on the body because of the position that the employee needs to stay in or the working conditions of the job site. Examples could be poor lighting, improper chairs or workstations, or repetitive movements.
  • Chemical hazards: Many chemicals used in companies are toxic if not handled with care, and they can cause illnesses or injuries. Examples could be chemicals used in manufacturing or even cleaning solutions.
  • Biohazards: Illnesses or injuries could come from working with or around plants, animals, or even people. Examples could consist of insect bites, contamination from diseased blood, or animal droppings.

Could Spotting and Avoiding Workplace Hazards Keep My Company From Being Sued?

Companies seldom get sued, fined, or penalized for accidents that never happen (when it does happen, however, the results may be catastrophic). This is particularly true when management can demonstrate that they have done everything possible to provide a safe and healthy environment for employees. A safety management program that includes communication and education about spotting common workplace hazards can help keep your company safe from litigation. Of course, proper safety management should also reduce costs spent on insurance and other injury-related expenses. These programs have also been demonstrated to help reduce employee turnover, improve morale, and even increase quality and productivity. It only makes sense to conclude that empowered workers make better employees.

We Can Provide the Key to Spotting Common Workplace Hazards

One of the key benefits of Ventiv safety software is the ability to collect and analyze incident data. Spotting trends in historical data is often the easiest way to prevent future hazards. The information in this system can also help risk managers measure the effectiveness of current safety programs to help them understand what works and what should get improved upon in the future. Besides that, the learning management system (LMS) helps increase employee awareness to help ensure that everybody knows exactly what kinds of hazards to watch out for.

 

RMIS Guide

 

Jun 23, 2015

 | Originally posted on 

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