Ensuring workplace safety is essential throughout the year. With the arrival of spring, a season often associated with renewal and growth, it's an ideal time to refresh your workplace safety practices. Today, we want to share some top safety tips to help you spring clean your work environment, keeping everyone safe.
Organize your space
Whether you have an office or work on a job site, you will feel much better when you start and end your day with some organization. Remove any unnecessary items that could pose a tripping hazard or obstruct emergency exits. As a leader, set the bar for your employees and promote an environment that prides itself on being clean, tidy, and organized.
Perform routine upkeep
Regular maintenance to equipment is vital to keep everything in working order. Take the necessary time to inspect and clean all equipment and machinery to extend the lifespan of your gear, benefiting your cost savings. Since dust and debris can impact the way in which it operates, encourage preventative measures to avoid incidents or malfunctions.
Inspect fire safety equipment
Just as you should regularly check your fire alarms at home, the same goes for the workplace. Inspect all fire extinguishers and smoke detectors to make sure they are working properly. Always replace expired extinguishers and test smoke detectors. Encourage your employees to keep all emergency exits clear, and that everyone understands what to do in case of an emergency.
Review chemical safety procedures
Properly dealing with irritants in the workplace is vital to a safe workplace. If you use chemicals or other hazardous materials at work, review and communicate all safety procedures with your employees. To minimize the risk of exposure or incidents, always properly store, label, and ensure safe handling of these materials.
Take ergonomics seriously
Make the safety and well-being of your employees a top priority. This not only includes proper safety measure and procedures, but appropriate ergonomic practices as well. Evaluate workstations to help minimize injuries that can occur due to improper ergonomics. Whether it be new chairs, desks, or computer monitors, prioritize the comfort of those who work for you to get the best outcomes for everyone.
Prioritize personal hygiene
Encourage and practice good hygiene habits all year long to stay healthy. Wash hands regularly, provide hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to promote cleanliness and to prevent the spread of illness. If you aren’t feeling well, utilize your sick days to stay home and rest.
Encourage safety all year long
A healthy and safe workplace requires an ongoing commitment from everyone. Foster an environment where people feel safe communicating, good or bad, and where collaboration is valued and respected. You want individuals to feel comfortable expressing safety concerns in a timely manner so that issues can be addressed and resolved immediately.
Last, but certainly not least, does your workplace have a safety plan in place? If not, the Goal Zero team can help. Whether you’ve never had one, need a new one, or have questions, we would love to hear from you.
Workplace safety is essential year-round. We hope these tips encourage you to assess your environment and implement strategies to enhance safety for your business or organization.