A healthy and efficient workforce is the most valuable asset of any workplace. When it comes to ensuring the safety and security of workers, the task does not fall on just one entity. Instead, promoting workplace safety is the combined effort of business owners, employees, and professionals you may hire for solutions and advice. Therefore, as an employee in any firm or organization, here’s how to enforce a safe work environment.
1)- Familiarize Yourself with Your Workplace
The first step towards contributing to a safe work environment is being aware of your surroundings. Before joining a new workplace, please understand your line of work and its requirements. Doing so shall help you have an idea of the possible hazards or mishaps that could take place. Upon joining, use the first few weeks to familiarize yourself with all emergency exits, safety protocols in practice, potential safety threats, and high-risk areas in a workplace, commonly storage units, kitchens, toilets, or outdoor worksites.
Once familiar with your workplace’s safety culture, you can guide newcomers by showing them what to look out for or expect. Doing so shall help you avoid potential safety concerns before they can cause any harm.
2)- Notify Supervisors of Any Hazards
Where a potential safety hazard makes itself apparent, it is paramount that you report it to higher-ups. As an employee, the responsibility of addressing safety concerns to supervisors falls on you for your well-being and the entire workplace. Common workplace hazards include slips and falls, poor ventilation, and electrical and fire hazards. On the other hand, industrial hygiene hazards include physical, ergonomic, chemical, and biological hazards. If any of these hazards are apparent to you, notify supervisors immediately. Supervisors are responsible for keeping safety incident logs, finding solutions, or contacting workplace safety professionals, such as industrial hygienists, to mitigate safety hazards.
3)- Wear Proper Safety Equipment (PPE)
Another essential tip for maintaining safety at work is to wear the right gear for the right task. A study in the book Applied Ergonomics concluded that 12%–14% of occupational injuries resulting in total disability are caused by employees not wearing appropriate PPE. PPE is any equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause injuries and illnesses. It usually includes earplugs, muffs, hard hats, respirators, coveralls, vests, gloves, safety goggles, shoes, and full-body suits. To know the right PPE for you, consider any safety hazards present during your job due to your work’s locational, durational, or work-specific aspects. Once you know this, demand the relevant gear from your employer, wear it religiously, and keep it in pristine condition. If any defects or deteriorations to your gear occur, immediately ask for replacements, as improper equipment can create a new set of safety concerns. According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the appropriate use of PPE can prevent 37.6% of occupational injuries and diseases, which speaks volumes about the beneficial impact of PPE in promoting and maintaining safe work environments.
4)- Make Mental Clarity a Priority
Employees in a negative mental state often can be negligent and reckless, making them more susceptible to safety hazards and their creation. This negative mental state can result from a heavy workload, constant deadlines, workplace politics, work or home disagreements, or day-to-day difficulties. These abovementioned issues contribute to high stress, exhaustion, and a decline in overall well-being. They can even lead to the use of substances to help cope with mental turmoil, resulting in employees showing up to work under the influence of a drug or alcohol. Hence, it is vital to prioritize mental clarity and peace of mind. In the workplace, this translates to taking frequent breaks between working, not taking on more than you can manage, and avoiding drinking or using drugs at or right before work. These measures will assist you in having clarity and sharpness, leading you towards better protection from creating or falling victim to safety hazards.
5)- Use Mechanical Equipment Where Possible
Using mechanical equipment shall save you from probable injuries in heavy lifting and moving tasks. In today’s technologically advanced society, mechanical equipment has made workplaces across several industries safer and more efficient. Commonly used mechanical equipment in workplaces include cranes, forklifts, hand/shelf trucks, carts, and conveyor belts. Ensure that these mechanical aids are readily available at your worksite and maintained properly. Whenever a heavy-duty task presents itself, use these mechanical aids instead of putting yourself at risk.
6)- Participate in Safety Training
To promote a safety culture in the workplace, employers frequently conduct safety training and drills for their employees. Being an active participant in safety training is an excellent way of educating yourself and showing that you acknowledge your employer’s efforts in promoting workplace safety. So, the next time your company hosts fire drills or lockdowns, hazard awareness workshops, first aid training, or a masterclass on the appropriate ways of responding to potential safety hazards, ensure your participation and show interest in learning.
7)- Keep Your Workstation Clean
A dirty workstation may seem like the least of your problems, especially in highly stressful professions, but it can cause irreversible damage to you and your surroundings. A cluttered desk may have items constantly falling off, resulting in spills or shatters. Spills lead to falling or slipping, which is the leading cause of fatalities in the workplace, resulting in a whopping 36.5% of all deaths, according to OSHA. They can also lead to short circuits within keyboards or sockets, making you susceptible to electric shocks. Shattered pieces can cause injuries if not cleaned up properly. Furthermore, where your workstation is shared with others, sanitization should be a priority to protect you from germs.
8)- Know Your Ergonomic Needs
Working in any field or designation brings exertion with it in different ways. Employees operating heavy machinery, loading goods, or involved in building and construction find themselves performing heavy labor that leads to chronic aches or injuries. In contrast, those working a desk job may have a bad posture, resulting in sprains or back, shoulder, and hip pain. That is why knowing your ergonomic needs as an employee is so important. If you are an employee involved in heavy labor, you need equipment that is easy to operate and safe. On the other hand, if you have a desk job, you need comfortable seating arrangements with extra support from back or neck cushions or ergonomic keyboards to prevent sprains in your arm. Hence, knowing your ergonomic needs and fulfilling them can protect you from injuries and ailments.
9)- Use Tools and Equipment in the Right Way
Carelessness or a lack of patience can have heavy implications regarding the use and operation of tools and equipment. As an employee, before using any new tool or equipment, please familiarize yourself with it first. You can do that by asking a higher-up for training or watching tutorials. Once you are confident in your abilities, start using the said tool or piece of equipment, being extra vigilant about following the necessary steps and safety measures. Allowing yourself to rush through the process or skip safety protocols can lead to harm that is otherwise easily avoidable with a little patience and sticking to the rules. Hence it is better to avoid a major mishap with minor efforts.
Conclusion
Employees produce their best work when they feel physically and mentally safe. While the work conditions, safety protocols, and overall safety culture promoted in a workplace play a vital role in protecting employees from potential dangers, each employee’s safety is ultimately in their own hands. That is apparent from the fact that despite having excellent safety measures in place, the mere neglect of one individual in complying with these measures creates an unsafe environment for all. Therefore, as an employee, it is your utmost duty to follow the abovementioned tips to promote safety for you and those around you.
hazards include physical, ergonomic, chemical, and biological hazards. If any of these hazards are apparent to you, notify supervisors immediately. Supervisors are responsible for keeping safety incident logs, finding solutions, or contacting workplace safety professionals, such as industrial hygienists, to mitigate safety hazards.
3)- Wear Proper Safety Equipment (PPE)
Another essential tip for maintaining safety at work is to wear the right gear for the right task. A study in the book Applied Ergonomics concluded that 12%–14% of occupational injuries resulting in total disability are caused by employees not wearing appropriate PPE. PPE is any equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause injuries and illnesses. It usually includes earplugs, muffs, hard hats, respirators, coveralls, vests, gloves, safety goggles, shoes, and full-body suits. To know the right PPE for you, consider any safety hazards present during your job due to your work’s locational, durational, or work-specific aspects. Once you know this, demand the relevant gear from your employer, wear it religiously, and keep it in pristine condition. If any defects or deteriorations to your gear occur, immediately ask for replacements, as improper equipment can create a new set of safety concerns. According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the appropriate use of PPE can prevent 37.6% of occupational injuries and diseases, which speaks volumes about the beneficial impact of PPE in promoting and maintaining safe work environments.
- Make Mental Clarity a Priority
Employees in a negative mental state often can be negligent and reckless, making them more susceptible to safety hazards and their creation. This negative mental state can result from a heavy workload, constant deadlines, workplace politics, work or home disagreements, or day-to-day difficulties. These abovementioned issues contribute to high stress, exhaustion, and a decline in overall well-being. They can even lead to the use of substances to help cope with mental turmoil, resulting in employees showing up to work under the influence of a drug or alcohol. Hence, it is vital to prioritize mental clarity and peace of mind. In the workplace, this translates to taking frequent breaks between working, not taking on more than you can manage, and avoiding drinking or using drugs at or right before work. These measures will assist you in having clarity and sharpness, leading you towards better protection from creating or falling victim to safety hazards.
- Use Mechanical Equipment Where Possible
Using mechanical equipment shall save you from probable injuries in heavy lifting and moving tasks. In today’s technologically advanced society, mechanical equipment has made workplaces across several industries safer and more efficient. Commonly used mechanical equipment in workplaces include cranes, forklifts, hand/shelf trucks, carts, and conveyor belts. Ensure that these mechanical aids are readily available at your worksite and maintained properly. Whenever a heavy-duty task presents itself, use these mechanical aids instead of putting yourself at risk.
- Participate in Safety Training
To promote a safety culture in the workplace, employers frequently conduct safety training and drills for their employees. Being an active participant in safety training is an excellent way of educating yourself and showing that you acknowledge your employer’s efforts in promoting workplace safety. So, the next time your company hosts fire drills or lockdowns, hazard awareness workshops, first aid training, or a masterclass on the appropriate ways of responding to potential safety hazards, ensure your participation and show interest in learning.
- Keep Your Workstation Clean
A dirty workstation may seem like the least of your problems, especially in highly stressful professions, but it can cause irreversible damage to you and your surroundings. A cluttered desk may have items constantly falling off, resulting in spills or shatters. Spills lead to falling or slipping, which is the leading cause of fatalities in the workplace, resulting in a whopping 36.5% of all deaths, according to OSHA. They can also lead to short circuits within keyboards or sockets, making you susceptible to electric shocks. Shattered pieces can cause injuries if not cleaned up properly. Furthermore, where your workstation is shared with others, sanitization should be a priority to protect you from germs.
- Know Your Ergonomic Needs
Working in any field or designation brings exertion with it in different ways. Employees operating heavy machinery, loading goods, or involved in building and construction find themselves performing heavy labor that leads to chronic aches or injuries. In contrast, those working a desk job may have a bad posture, resulting in sprains or back, shoulder, and hip pain. That is why knowing your ergonomic needs as an employee is so important. If you are an employee involved in heavy labor, you need equipment that is easy to operate and safe. On the other hand, if you have a desk job, you need comfortable seating arrangements with extra support from back or neck cushions or ergonomic keyboards to prevent sprains in your arm. Hence, knowing your ergonomic needs and fulfilling them can protect you from injuries and ailments.
- Use Tools and Equipment in the Right Way
Carelessness or a lack of patience can have heavy implications regarding the use and operation of tools and equipment. As an employee, before using any new tool or equipment, please familiarize yourself with it first. You can do that by asking a higher-up for training or watching tutorials. Once you are confident in your abilities, start using the said tool or piece of equipment, being extra vigilant about following the necessary steps and safety measures. Allowing yourself to rush through the process or skip safety protocols can lead to harm that is otherwise easily avoidable with a little patience and sticking to the rules. Hence it is better to avoid a major mishap with minor efforts.
Conclusion
Employees produce their best work when they feel physically and mentally safe. While the work conditions, safety protocols, and overall safety culture promoted in a workplace play a vital role in protecting employees from potential dangers, each employee’s safety is ultimately in their own hands. That is apparent from the fact that despite having excellent safety measures in place, the mere neglect of one individual in complying with these measures creates an unsafe environment for all. Therefore, as an employee, it is your utmost duty to follow the abovementioned tips to promote safety for you and those around you.
