Preventing Workplace Accidents and Injuries
No workplace wants to experience accidents or injuries. Unfortunately, no matter the facility, it’s always possible that an employee, a visitor, or anyone else on site can become injured due to an unexpected incident. While these situations are always unfortunate, the good news is that most workplace incidents can be prevented.
To understand how to prevent incidents in the workplace, it’s important to recognize how these situations occur. Many workplace injuries happen because care isn’t taken, protocols are not followed, or the right steps to protect the property are not adhered to.
Incident Prevention: Knowing how Accidents and Injuries Occur
One common cause of workplace injuries is those operating machinery without being aware of who is around them. For example, if an employee is using equipment such as a forklift, they need to make sure that there is no one in the vicinity who could be hurt.
This involves being aware of their surroundings, checking their blind spots, informing others of their actions, and more. In these situations, it is equally important that others in the area are aware of the forklift and that they take appropriate steps to stay out of harm’s way. Everyone in this scenario should be wearing high-visibility clothing as well.
If any of those points are not followed, the chance of a workplace incident increases. Therefore, to lower the risk of such incidents in the workplace, it’s important that all staff members follow safety protocols at all times. Unfortunately, this can be hard to regulate. Even if all employees are taught the organization’s safety policies, there will likely be times when the procedures are not followed correctly.
For instance, an employee may be busy and wanting to get a task done quickly. In their haste, they might forget to look around them, they may not put on all required safety gear, or they might not use all equipment correctly. If this happens, it could potentially lead to a workplace incident and even a possible injury.
How to Prevent Incidents in the Workplace with Technology
While supervisors and other staff may want to monitor staff to ensure that protocols are followed, it’s not realistic to assume that they will be able to watch over all staff at all times in all areas of a property. There is a limit to what a person can do. This is where technology comes in.
