Learning how to prevent accidents is the first step to improving safety culture and creating the best safety and health conditions possible at work. While employers are in charge of developing realistic safety goals, employees also have to follow safety procedures when things get busy.
In an ideal world, we would all be able to handle risks that lead to workplace accidents. But, unfortunately, every job entails a risk of injury. Although it’s impossible to prevent some mishaps, let’s see what you can do to manage injuries in the workplace as an employer or an employee.
Build a positive safety culture
As mentioned earlier, embedding a culture of safety starts when employers and managers decide to provide support and resources available to make it happen. In other words, it’s your responsibility to take good care of your employees and increase safety awareness. For example, you can achieve your safety goals by investing in high-quality equipment and offering your employees the opportunity to learn about safety culture within your company.
Not only will safety training teach your employees how to minimise accidents in the workplace, but they will also learn what they need to do if someone gets injured. Therefore, it would be best to develop a safety plan and make sure your team has the resources they need to handle accidents in the workplace.
Prepare for injuries
Building a positive safety culture is much more than investing in employee training and equipment. Examination of the workplace is another excellent way to identify hazards and prevent injuries. For example, slips and falls are some of the most common workplace accidents, but if you keep your premises clean and clutter-free, you’ll significantly reduce the risk of injury.
Report all injuries
Trying to reduce the number of injuries in the workplace by getting your injured workers back to work as soon as they get back on their feet can do more harm than good. Instead of brushing the accidents under the carpet, be sure to report all injuries without delay and inform all employees what happened on your premises.
In addition, it would be best to show your employees that you value their safety and encourage them to report all injuries in the workplace. Finally, if you’re an employee, it is your right and responsibility to talk to the management if the current workplace conditions affect your physical health or wellbeing in any way.
Plan for medical care
The next best thing to do is to establish a protocol for handling employee injuries at work. For starters, you’ll need to determine who will be responsible for taking care of an injured worker before the health provider arrives, and more importantly, who to notify when an incident occurs.
Depending on the accident, you might also have to call the fire department or the police. If the worker is badly injured, it’s essential to inform their closest family members as well. More importantly, if not necessary, don’t move the injured person because that can worsen their condition.
Investigate the accident
Undoubtedly, the state workers’ compensation laws differ greatly. However, they all have one thing in common— all employees are entitled to recover benefits if they get into a workplace accident. However, it’s also worth noting that the insurance carrier is the one who decides whether an injury is compensable.
Dealing with insurance carriers who would do anything to rob you off of your worker’s compensation is the last thing you want to do while recovering from illness or injury. However, to protect your financial and, in most cases, your mental health, personal injury lawyers will do whatever is in their power to maximise your entitlements. After an injury, don’t hesitate to hire an experienced lawyer who will help you file a compensation claim.
Don’t forget about other colleagues and employees
When other workers witness or hear about the accidents in the workplace, they have the right to feel worried about their own safety. So if you’re an employee who got injured on the job site, be sure to talk about your experience when you’re ready. That way, your colleagues will learn how to protect themselves in the future, but you can also teach them how to provide support once you return to work.
On the other hand, it’s essential to address the issues and implement new safety strategies without disrupting your organisation if you’re an employer. Although it’s impossible to keep all your employees safe at all times, ask for suggestions and design a better workplace safety plan.
Conclusion
When trying to improve safety in the workplace, you can reward your employees for safe behaviour and ensure they have the right tools and equipment to get their job done. In addition, when dealing with workplace accidents, it’s essential not to blame the workers or rush their way through recovery.
Managing injuries in the workplace is definitely not an easy task. But, if you implement safety protocols, invest in training and improve communication between managers and employees, you’ll learn what to do and how to help a person that’s injured.