Businesses of all sizes need to be aware of safety standards that are put in place to protect workers from harm. Unfortunately, there are those who choose to ignore these standards and the potential consequences of doing so are severe, including penalties and the possibility of losing your business license altogether.
Read on to learn more about what you can do to make sure your business does not fall into this category of dangerous workplaces.
Avoid fines:
- Failure to comply with federal regulations can lead to hefty fines for a business. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regularly conducts inspections and fines businesses that are in violation of safety laws. If you own a business, it’s important to follow OSHA standards to avoid these penalties. Whether you operate a manufacturing plant or work in an office setting, there are numerous rules you must follow to keep employees safe on a daily basis.
- When OSHA inspects a workplace, they look at several factors including: hazard communication; personal protective equipment; fall protection; hearing conservation; bloodborne pathogens; confined spaces; electrical safety; and more. Failure to adhere to these standards could result in serious consequences including: workers compensation claims and lawsuits from injured employees, civil fines from OSHA as well as possible criminal charges if injuries were intentional. It is imperative that employers provide their workers with training on how to protect themselves while working at heights or around dangerous machinery.
Avoid long-term injury:
- According to a recent analysis by The Wall Street Journal, 87% of workplace injuries are related to musculoskeletal disorders. These injuries account for more than $200 billion in costs annually and often result in long-term physical impairment or permanent disability. By preventing needless workplace injury, you not only save money, but you also protect your employees’ health and wellbeing. For example, ergonomic work stations reduce worker fatigue and discomfort as well as promote safer handling of equipment, material and product. You can also invest in anti-fatigue mats that help distribute pressure evenly throughout workers’ feet and legs, reducing pain and risk of falls.
- When it comes to safety gear like hard hats, gloves and goggles, protecting your workers from potential hazards is essential—and even small investments like these can make a big difference when it comes to employee safety.
Build trust with employees and customers:
- If your business isn’t doing what it should be in terms of employee and customer safety, you’re setting yourself up for big problems. You can save yourself a lot of headaches—and money—if you get ahead of these issues before they even start. It all starts with compliance; you have to make sure all employees are properly trained on safety measures and protocols.
- Be sure to check records, both on an ongoing basis and after any incident that occurs. When customers feel unsafe or uncomfortable at your business, they won’t come back—or worse, they’ll tell their friends about their experience and badmouth you online. This is especially true if there is a serious accident or injury. In fact, according to OSHA statistics , 76% of consumers surveyed say that safety was very important when deciding where to spend their money.
Recruit more employees:
- The law states that you are responsible for all injuries sustained by any employee at work, on or off-the-clock. This means that if one of your employees is injured during a company event and/or outing, it’s still liable to be reported to OSHA. For example, if your sales team goes out for drinks after work (and they do so often), then an injury sustained while drunk driving home would need to be reported.
- Another common scenario is when an employee injures themselves using equipment provided by their employer; in these cases, there’s also a requirement to report.
Increase overall satisfaction in the workplace:
- With a thorough understanding of what OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires, you can avoid serious workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. So educate yourself—and remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And if you’re ever in doubt about whether or not something could hurt your employees, ask yourself: Is it worth losing their lives over?
If so, don’t do it. There are plenty of things you can do to keep your workers safe without sacrificing productivity. Educate yourself on what OSHA standards apply to your business and put some basic safety precautions into place. You may save more than just money down the road.
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