General work and industrial accidents are often due to slips, falls, and trips. Approximately 25% of reported injury claims each fiscal year are a result of these factors. Given the reasons mentioned above, the U.S Department of Labor suggests doing all it takes to minimize work-related accidents.
One accident at the workplace can affect the employer and employee. For employers, your business may suffer losses if you lose a personal injury case. For employees, you will lose wages and risk having your compensation reduced. You should always find a personal injury lawyer in case of work accidents.
However, there are steps you can take to prevent these injuries.
Every business owner and employee should be very familiar with the surroundings. It would help if you examined the workplace for any potential hazards and places of harm. Then, make these areas known to everyone in the facility.
Next, find ways to eliminate or minimize these dangers. Another great idea is to find a personal injury lawyer to help you report perilous exercises and places.
If you already know the risks your workers face, make a point to remove them. Next, substitute the hazard with a safer alternative. For instance, if the staircase has poor lighting, upgrade to brighter lamps and bulbs. In case of any serious perils, engineer control measures to isolate the staff from the hazard.
Other courses of action to take are administrative and protective control measures. It is vital to change how your employees work if you practice dangerous activities. Also, provide workers with personal protective equipment. This will reduce workplace hazards and prevent a personal injury claim.
You should perform inspections and review company policies and processes at least once a year. Do your safety policies, routines, and procedures still affect your employees? Is the workplace healthy and risk-free enough to host staff members? Are you still using any hazardous equipment? These questions will help you understand how safe your business is.
It is an added advantage if you find a personal injury lawyer, get legal advice, and learn about personal injury cases. You will know what to inspect and change at work to avoid accidents.
If you do not offer adequate training to employees before hiring them, they may be ignorant of risky working conditions. A poorly trained worker is a risk to themselves and their colleagues. Regardless of how experienced an employee is in the field, always offer thorough training before joining your team.
Supervision at work is necessary whether you manage an industry, business, facility, or organization. Whenever a worker can’t understand their tasks or needs answers, their supervisor will always be ready.
A reporting system is vital for both employers and employees. The person at risk should feel free to report any hazards they may encounter or witness. You need a system that encourages such behavior and does not penalize anyone who reports possible dangers.
Instead of punishing the workers, you should reward them for their honesty. Offering incentives will make employees more responsible and vigilant about possible hazards in the workplace. Lastly, if an employee attempts to harm or cause injury to another person at work, create a zero-tolerance policy on violence against anyone in your facility.
Having a healthy and safe workplace will lead to happy employees. You should not wait for an accident or injury to happen before you change your work policies and procedures. Make the necessary changes today.
At times, work injuries occur even after you carry out all preventive measures. When you are hurt in an accident, do not hesitate to ask for legal advice from a personal injury attorney. Contact the Law Offices of Steven Zwick today for your personal injury case.