Simple Safety: 10 Small Workplace Tweaks To Counter Big Risks

A safer workplace doesn’t always require grand renovations or expensive equipment – it’s often the little things, done consistently, that prevent accidents and save the day. If you’re an employer who has been looking at strengthening health and safety within your workplace, why not consider some of these following small tweaks? They’re affordable and don’t require too much effort to implement.

Adopt the ‘five minute sweep’ habit

Let’s begin by discussing the culprit of clutter. Not tidying up walkways and stock cupboards can lead to trip hazards, as well as potentially slowing down an escape during an emergency such as a fire. Adopt a ‘five minute sweep’ habit at the end of shifts that involves clearing any objects from the floor. Pay particularly attention to clutter in narrow corridors and fire escape doors. This can prevent clutter from building up and ensures that your workplace always meets health and safety codes. 

Use anti-slip mats

A common cause of workplace slips and falls is loose mats and rugs. Choosing anti-slip rugs with rough undersides and beveled edges can prevent such accidents. Such rugs and mats don’t cost a lot of money. While replacing mats, consider other ways of preventing slips and falls such as investing in a wet floor sign to put down while mopping.

Put up health and safety posters

Health and safety posters can be a great way to remind first-aid-trained employees of health and safety procedures, while also teaching employees who haven’t had this training. The best part? You don’t have to pay for these posters – simply by searching online, you can find free CPR posters and free OSHA posters. By placing these in key areas around your workplace, you can educate your employees on everything from how to act in a medical emergency to how to use PPE.

Annually audit and restock your first aid kit

Every workplace with employees should have a first aid kit. This should be kept in a clearly labelled accessible place. While most workplaces do already have first aid kits, a lot of employers do not inspect these regularly to check whether they need restocking. The last thing you want is to have a serious medical emergency such as heavy bleeding only to find out you have no bandages left. Set a date each year and a reminder in your calendar to check the first aid kit and restock it (if you’ve got a larger workplace and injuries are more frequent, you might want to check it more regularly than this). 

Regularly inspect your PPE

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed to protect employees against injuries and illness. It includes equipment such as gloves, face masks, hard hats and hi-vis jackets. While PPE is not necessary in all workplaces, there are many work environments where it is mandatory. While most employers know when they need to supply PPE, a lot of them do not carry out inspections on PPE – which can lead to damaged equipment that is no longer fit for use still being worn. Set a date every month or every few months to inspect your PPE and replace any equipment that is damaged. Keeping PPE clean is also important – items like hard hats need to be cleaned occasionally to prevent bacterial and fungal scalp problems developing. 

Encourage ergonomic desk setups

When setting up desks, ergonomics is essential to consider in order to prevent repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) like back pain from leaning over a desk or shoulder pain from having to awkwardly twist one’s body. Ergonomic measures to consider include making sure chairs are at the right height, that keyboards and monitors align, that there is enough elbow room when typing or using a mouse, and that there is enough legroom under desks. Work with each new employee to find a comfortable setup – there have been cases of employees suing employers for RSIs like back pain due to uncomfortable desk setups. 

Practice good cable management

Cable management is key for preventing falls, fire hazards and electrical shocks. To eliminate trip hazards, try to keep cables tidied away using zip ties or cable sleeves, or run cables under rugs if they need to cross a walkway. To reduce the risk of fires or electrical shocks, make sure to replace worn cables and avoid overloading outlets with too many devices (never plug power strips into power strips). 

Teach safe lifting

One of the most common causes of back injuries is incorrect lifting technique or trying to lift something too heavy. When taking on new employees, make sure that safe lifting is an essential part of their training – even if they’ve working at a desk (you never know when they might need to carry a box or move a desk). Safe lifting techniques include lifting from the legs instead of bending over and always getting help when lifting bulky or heavy items. 

Label hazards around the workplace

Another simple and effective way to reduce accidents is clearly label any potential hazards around your workplace. This includes hazards like hot taps, low ceilings, steps or heavy doors. Such signs are particularly important for warning visitors. You can also use safety labels to instruct employees how to use certain equipment safely – while training is still important, such labels could help to refresh employees’ memories and prevent careless accidents.

Run regular micro-drills

It’s worth occasionally drilling safety protocols such as fire evacuations or what to do if certain machinery malfunctions. This can help employees develop muscle memory and act quickly in such emergencies. Schedule these drills in advance so that employees don’t see them as a nuisance, but consider planning them for different times of the day and week to make sure that they’re not too predictable. Feel free to also adapt drills if you notice issues with them or policies change. 

These are just a handful of tweaks to consider looking into. There are potentially many other small safety measures that you can put in place – introducing frequent small changes could be easier than trying to implement major changes.

Featured image: Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/main-switch-of-a-machine-5532834/