Accidents happen, but it’s the job of an employer to take as many preventive measures as possible to reduce the likelihood of one occurring. When it comes to workplace injuries, you have to anticipate every potential injury that could come from a particular task, machine or piece of equipment.
There are several ways that you can help prevent workplace injuries to keep your employees safe and healthy. It’s important to look at the reality of workplace injuries. Then, you can dive into preventive measures that you can put into action.
Statistics about workplace injuries
Workplace injuries can occur in every industry, but in 2022, the transportation and warehousing industry had the highest number of illnesses and injuries that required time off per 10,000 workers. When it comes to fatalities, the construction industry had the highest number of workplace deaths.
There were more than 5,400 fatal work-related injuries reported in 2022 as well as more than 2 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses in private industries.
Ways to effectively prevent workplace injuries
Even though workplace injuries are often discussed in conjunction with illnesses, we’re going to focus specifically on how to effectively prevent injuries. Illnesses can’t always be traced back directly to a job, while an injury can physically occur on-site.
Every type of workplace is different, and it’s important to tailor your preventive measures to your particular employees and environments. Here are a few general ways to effectively prevent workplace injuries.
- Regularly inspect potential hazards — Carrying out thorough inspections of equipment, machines and working areas can go a long way in reducing the risk of workplace injuries. It’s important to regularly inspect potential hazards to determine what safety precautions need to be put in place. Workers shouldn’t use things like a forklift, power tool or machine without making sure everything is in working order.
- Require personal protective equipment — As employees get more comfortable with doing a task, such as moving heavy equipment or using power tools, they may start thinking that they’re experienced enough that they don’t need to use personal protective equipment, or PPE. It’s important to enforce the use of safety equipment every single time it’s required, because it only takes one small mistake to sustain an injury.
- Prioritize cleanliness — No matter what type of workplace you’re running, cleanliness should be a priority. Small issues, like a spill that isn’t properly cleaned or clutter left on a pathway, can lead to major workplace injuries. Training your employees about proper cleaning procedures can go a long way in effectively preventing workplace injuries.
- Engage in prevention activities — Pre-work warmups and job conditioning sessions can better help prepare your employees for the work tasks of the day. Recovery stretching programs and biomechanics coaching can reduce the employees’ muscular fatigue. Preparation and fatigue prevention help reduce the potential for musculoskeletal injuries like sprains and strains.
Work-Fit can help you effectively prevent workplace injuries
By effectively preventing workplace injuries, you’re also helping to minimize the risk of reduced productivity, compensation costs and damage to your employees’ morale.
Contact our team today to find out more about all the benefits Work-Fit can bring to your workplace.
