When you get dressed in the morning to go to work, you always expect it to be a normal day. You don’t think about the possibility of getting injured, and most of the time, you come back home without even a scratch. However, that doesn’t mean that something bad can never happen. In fact, everyone thinks it cannot happen to them until it does.

Work injuries are on the rise lately, which not only endangers employees but also puts employers at risk of getting sued. A lawsuit can be very costly – not to mention that it can also damage the reputation of your company. The good news is that these incidents can be prevented.

Here are a few ways to prevent workplace injuries:

1. Inspect the Equipment on a Regular Basis

Regular inspections of your equipment are crucial. If you own a business that involves the use of machinery and equipment, then it is your responsibility to make sure that everything is working correctly.

Malfunctioning equipment significantly increases injury risk. This is especially the case when you’re working in the construction industry. Equipment that doesn’t work correctly can not only cause injuries but may even lead to death.

So, make sure to check your equipment frequently to prevent anything tragic from happening.

2. Make Sure that Everyone Has Protection Equipment

One way to provide some extra protection is to give employees protection equipment. All your workers should be provided with some personal protection equipment that includes face protection, hard hats, ear muffs or earplugs, gloves, goggles, safety shoes, or others.

3. Instruct Workers to Not Skip Steps

Many employees are eager to finish a project and go on their lunch break or go home. As a result, they may skip certain steps, thinking it would save them time. However, this comes with risks, because accidents can happen when someone skips steps.

Ensure that all instructions are clear and that your employees know the dangers that come with skipping important steps.

4. Offer Safety Training

Businesses often do safety and wellness training to let all employees know what they should do at work and what behaviors they should avoid. Training is offered regularly, not only in order to ensure new workers understand the importance of safety, but also in order to remind older employees to stay safe.

During the training, you should tell all employees about how important it is to stay safe and what their role is in contributing to their safety. Make safety a priority, as it can help your employees stay alert and also warn others when they are doing something wrong.

5. EmployEnoughStaffMembers

Employees often have to do overtime work due to low staffing levels. Even if they are paid extra for their work, working more than they are supposed to can be detrimental to the workers’ health and sleep. Therefore, employees who work overtime may deal with exhaustion, which affects their ability to work.

Sadly, this can also put the employees at risk as they are too tired to think clearly and they may also not have enough force to handle certain equipment. Make sure you have the right staffing levels to avoid the need for overtime hours.

6. Make Sure There’s Enough Lighting

You might not think about it, but lighting can play a big role in accident prevention.

When you don’t have enough lighting, employees can make mistakes because they cannot see clearly what they’re doing. Not to mention that the lack of light can also be dangerous in outdoor areas, entrances, walkways, exits, and parking lots. If something happens to a worker, then you will most likely be held accountable for not providing adequate lighting.

So, if there is not enough light in certain areas, improve it to ensure no accidents happen.

7. PostClearSignage

Safety or clear signage is essential when you cannot control or avoid risks. This means that you always need to add signs in dangerous areas so that your employees can avoid them – this way, you can prevent accidents.

Workers need to be trained to understand all the signs and what they mean. Also, bear in mind that signs should also be maintained – when letters are missing, the meaning might change.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, work injuries are getting more and more common. California alone had 462 deadly work injuries in 2021. Ideally, you should prevent these injuries and make sure everyone is safe. Otherwise, your workers can seek a Long Beach personal injury attorney and sue you for compensation.