Workplace Injuries Ruin Lives And Businesses: Ways To Prevent Accidents On The Job

Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident. –Mark Twain

Indeed accidents have helped to create and spur on a fair share of brilliant ideas, especially in the business world. For instance 3M developed the glue used for Post-It Notes by accident. They were originally attempting to create a “super glue” which obviously failed on that particular attempt. But that accident helped to create a product which would become well known. So much so that it has become a generalized trademark, synonymous with that single product.



But as a business, obviously not all accidents are good or wanted. Many you would much rather avoid, as is the case with workplace accidents and especially those resulting in injuries. Whether they occur while on-site, at a corporate event, or when commuting on a business trip, a single workplace injury can cost a company a fortune. You not only have to be mindful of your employees, but customers and any other person on your premises as well. For some businesses, a single accident can be crippling. Not to mention the hardships created for the injured and their families.

When everything is added up it is clear that any physical accident which can be avoided should have proper precautions taken to do just that. That said, let’s go over some helpful tips which will make your workplace and business safer for everyone.

Create Safety Policies and Expectations

The first precaution that can be taken to help prevent an accident is the creation of company safety policies. This should outline every known risk to be aware of and guidelines for employees. You can provide training sessions which highlight the most prevalent risks to be aware of. Often memory can fail an employee, and customer/visitors are often unaware of dangers. So creating warning signs and adding them to areas of known risk is helpful. This includes areas that are wet or slippery, have a hot surface or sharp corner, even signs warning people with common allergies such as peanuts in restaurants.

There is no such thing as a bad precaution taken, so use them liberally and in excess if need be. Finally you will want to keep an incident report for any injury sustained on the job or at your business. Perhaps your coffee was too hot, meat undercooked, rooms too dimly lit, or a hidden step not made more obvious. Even things that seem like minor risks won’t seem so for long when someone injuries themselves badly. An incident report properly maintained will highlight any patterns that may be occurring or areas where more attention is needed.

Put Someone in Charge as the Safety Coordinator

Making company safety someone’s responsibility helps to make sure that the job is actually taken care of. Assigning an employee as Safety Coordinator will ensure that the tasks won’t be left hanging in the air. The Safety Coordinator should inspect the facility regularly and report their findings to upper management.

The Safety Coordinator should also create a risk assessment of known and potential dangers regularly. This risk assessment should include:

• The identification of hazards and those most at risk


• An evaluation of all risks prioritized so greater attention is given where it is needed most.


• The design and upkeep of a best practice guide and plan to implement it


• The implementation of said plan and study of its overall effectiveness


• Adjustments made based on study findings.

This should be a continuous process and must be done frequently. Which is why assigning a Safety Coordinator to take over these responsibilities ensures the tasks are completed.

Provide Proper Tools and Items Needed for the Job to Avoid Improvisation

Most people if given the chance will try to Macgyver something. This is fine and often times even funny at home or on TV. But at the workplace it can create more potential hazards and risks than anyone could be aware of. Even small things such as step ladders will keep people from monkeying around on chairs and boxes. Did an employee put up shelves themselves? Are you sure those are properly secured into a stud or have the right anchors in place? Do people have to use their phones as flashlights when in your warehouse, stair well, garage, or basement?

Making sure your employees have the right tools for the job keeps them from having to create those tools themselves. Even the smallest thing can make the biggest difference in terms of safety. Take fire extinguishers for example. We rarely if ever have to use them, and because of that when is the last time you’ve checked the date on yours? Do you have enough to cover the size of your location? Are they easily accessible? Maybe like many businesses, yours is properly buried deep behind the dish soap and towels under the break room sink.

Create First Aid Stations and Give Training if Necessary

Finally, when speaking of safety you certainly have to prepare for the worst. Preventative measures and precautions taken can only do so much and sometimes an accident is unavoidable. This is why you should have a complete and comprehensive first aid station set up. The exact hazards and risks known should dictate exactly what goes into your first aid station. Furthermore you can offer training lessons for first aid and CPR. It’s often useful to have a few people in your business certified. Your Safety Coordinator should no doubt be in charge of determining the best candidates and should themselves be certified. You can’t rightly be a leader of anything without first setting an example.

Hopefully these tips will help prevent a few injuries from occurring, or in the least mitigate them. When it comes to determining the total number of possible hazards your business faces, the list may seem daunting to begin. But over time after each risk has been assessed, your business overall will be a safer environment. And though you may never realize its actual worth because no one has been injured, that does not mean the work and process wasn’t worth the effort. When it comes to workplace safety, you know you’re doing well when nothing happens.

The author of this piece is Damien Wilhelmi and a writer for ShafnerLaw.com. If you enjoyed this article you can follow me on Twitter @CustParadigm. When I’m not writing about work place injury and helping busniesses protect themselves, I can usually be found enjoying myself in the great outdoors of Colorado.