You want your employees to be happy and productive. They’ll stick around longer and perform better when they enjoy working for you and your company.
One way to ensure they’re satisfied is to put measures in place that help keep your employees safe at work. You want to minimize the risk for any accidents or errors that could have been prevented had you tried harder to create a safe and secure work environment. The following ideas will help get you thinking on the right track and offer ideas for what you can do to protect and safeguard your staff.
Have an HR Department
Keep your employees safe at work by having an HR department. You want to have people and leadership in charge who can handle the tough situations and know what to do in a variety of circumstances. Your employees will feel better and be more willing to report incidents or strange behaviors to an HR employee instead of their boss. An HR department can keep your company running smoothly and ensure each person is up to speed with the latest policies and procedures.
Assess the Environment
You should also take time to assess the environment and figure out what you can be doing better or change. For instance, clear walkways and declutter and keep your office space clean and germ-free. Also, make sure you have locks on the windows and doors and only people with working keycards can get in and out. You can always contact a locksmith if you get locked out, need new locks, or want to install a security system. Your goal is to create a welcoming environment where people feel at ease and that their safety is never being threatened or put in harm’s way.
Train Them
You can prevent accidents and ensure a safe work environment by training your employees. It’s especially important if they’re working with heavy machinery or dangerous chemicals. Make sure that each new person you bring to your team is aware of the guidelines and rules that are in place. You should also have safety drills in place for instances of bad weather or an intruder so everyone knows where to go and what to do should this situation arise at your workplace. Designate leaders within your company who can monitor behaviors and help in the case of an emergency.
Have an Open-Door Policy
Another way to keep your employees safe at work is to have an open-door policy. You don’t want anyone to ever feel like they can’t come and talk to you about what’s going on in the office that’s making them uncomfortable. Create easy and confidential ways for employees to provide feedback on any topic they choose. Be on the lookout for any strange behavior and communicate with management if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Not only be aware yourself but also teach your employees to also be aware and to speak up should they witness or encounter anything that puts their and other people’s safety at risk.
