Several people lose their lives or get maimed at their workplaces each year. That is one person too many, these occurrences should be unheard of in this 21st century. It is a shame that we are still having these freak work accidents despite the advancements made in the working sector. From now on, we should strive to do better.

We know that accidents are unforeseeable and can occur anytime and anywhere despite all the safety measures one has taken. But the majority of these workplace accidents are caused by human error. Therefore preventing them would solve the lion’s share of the problem. Below are the steps you can take up at your workplace and in turn prevent the occurrence of  workplace accidents.

Encourage Your Workers To Wear Protective Gear

Some jobs pose some degree of risk naturally. These are common in factories or any kind of job that involves the use of heavy machinery. Operating these machines could be risky hence the need to wear protective gear. Jobs that involve being around heavy objects also require wearing of protective gear, specifically helmets as there is a constant threat of head injury.

Construction jobs that require the climbing of high places demands that one puts on a safety belt or strap as a safety measure. In essence, for every task that poses a particular risk there is a counter protective measure to safeguard us from that risk. Therefore, supervisors should ensure that their subordinates are wearing the required protective gear when working to prevent any sort of injuries from happening.

Use Efficient Machinery

Some of the accidents at our workplaces are caused by the misfiring of machines. A slight mishap of any of these giant equipment could result in the loss of a limb and in more unfortunate cases death. So ensure that the equipment used at your workplace is efficient and appropriate for the task it performs. This applies to the other pieces of hardware that may be used alongside the main equipment.

For example, a chemical refinery should have a leak proof cooling system. Everything, from the pipes, valves and the ppr adapter should be in tandem for the refining equipment to accomplish its task. Buying quality machinery is the most  suitable way of preventing workplace accidents due to misfiring machines.

Set Up Precautionary Measures

It is true that prevention is the best cure, but there are some situations that we cannot fully prevent. The next best thing in this case is to set up precautionary measures that would mitigate any accident in case it occurs. As a supervisor or in whatever capacity, encourage the management to set up protective measures. The administrations of towns, councils and even cities require every building to have fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and emergency exits in case of a fire.

This threat is more real and imminent at our workplaces because of the nature of work done there. Therefore additional precautionary measures should be taken to prevent any tragedy. Workplaces that have radiation emissions for example should have the necessary shielding because the risk of fire or something worse is more imminent to them.

Always Keep Your Workplace Clean

During my research for this article I deduced that a small percentage of workplace accidents are caused by mere carelessness. Failure to clean up after our messes, or leaving wasteful materials around is the cause of these accidents.

If you work around liquids and some of it spills and you leave the spillage uncleaned then someone is bound to slip and hurt themselves. The same case applies to wires or any material lying around then someone is bound to trip and get hurt. So ensure that you clean up thoroughly after work and store materials in their proper places.

Hire Skilled Staff

Hire skilled workers that are efficiently trained to do their jobs. Most of the machines at our workplaces require a certain level of skill to operate well. Ensure that the person you employ to perform a specific task is well-trained.

Check whether they are certified during the recruitment process. Ask them to carry proof of certification, this might seem like an overkill but it is a vital step. Unskilled workers may mishandle the machinery and cause an accident that may harm the other workers.

Conclusion

It is really sad that families have to mourn the loss of a loved one all because of a workplace accident. It is the time to turn these statistics around, this article aims to do exactly that. Follow these steps given to have an accident free work environment.