Workplace Safety 101: Getting Your Workplace Ready For Any Accident

Every year in Ontario a couple of hundred thousand claims are filed with the Workplace Safety and for workplace injuries WSIB Statistics. This does not include Federally regulated employers in Ontario Federal Statistics . Suffice it to say that workplace injury still remains at an unimaginably high rate of workplace injury isn’t only hazardous for workers but also detrimental to employers. When a worker lands up in the hospital, it leads to distress and negatively impacts the company’s image, morale, and productivity. 

However, making a workplace safe requires efforts and careful planning to ensure that the worksite remains safe for the employees or anyone who visits. Although accidents are bound to occur, employers should ensure that their workers are trained to initiate a prompt response mechanism to mitigate the risk of damage and streamline the recovery process. Here are a few ways employers can make the place safer for all.

#1 Identify Potential Hazards

Perform a risk assessment (i.e. some specific health and safety assessments are explicitly required by law). The assessment helps to identify all areas that might pose a threat, such as inadequate railing, slippery tiling, high noise pollution, unergonomic seating, mold, unguarded machinery, and more. After making a list of all the potential safety hazards, eliminate all hazards one after the other and place proper signage for employees to warn them.

#2 Provide Health and Safety Training

Regardless of the industry you operate in, health and safety training should be an essential part of your hiring procedure. Ensure that the employees are certified with, working at heights training / fall protection course, PPE safety training, forklift courses, and equipped with proper first-aid training.

If we look to our larger US neighbour to the south, construction and industrial workplace settings witness some of the highest rates of accidents that lead to injuries. Training is an important piece of the safety program puzzle that equips the workers with skills that improves injury outcomes. Learning how to work smarter and safer and being prepared for emergencies can help improve outcome even when people are injured. 

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