If you go to work each day expecting a safe environment and nothing untoward will happen to you, then you may be shocked to look at the statistics. Unfortunately, data shows that US workplaces aren’t the safe spot many assume and that they are highly dangerous. The assumption that you will go to work daily and be just fine simply isn’t backed up by statistics. But what’s making these workplaces so unsafe? What can employers and employees do to remedy the situation? Let’s peel back the layers on the figures.
Lack of Awareness Is Driving the Statistics
While it’s concerning to hear that workplace accidents are so common here in the US, what’s more, frustrating is the reason for these accidents. In many cases, a lack of awareness in the workplace leads to an accident such as a fall, slip, or trip. These sound like relatively harmless accidents, but they can lead to severe outcomes in the workplace.
The answer to this problem is for employers to work on awareness, remove potential hazards, keep all areas clear of debris and ensure that employees can safely move about the workspace. From an employee’s point of view, it requires being aware of your surroundings, looking around, listening, and following the rules and safety guidelines in place.
There Is No Dedicated Slip and Fall Prevention Program in Place
Statistics also highlights the alarming fact that 60% of workplaces don’t have a slip and fall prevention program in place. This means they aren’t looking at the potential hazards, they aren’t identifying them, they aren’t alerting employees, and they aren’t taking any steps to prevent injuries from occurring.
This lack of planning means accidents are more likely to occur, which results in employees missing work and the business suffering due to a lack of people power. Workplace accidents negatively affect both employees and employers. Employees that require workman’s comp insurance can be away from the workplace for a significant period. It’s also the reason why businesses secure workman’s comp insurance from The Hartford, among others.
Prevention Needs to Be a Layered Approach
For many businesses that do have a slip and fall prevention program in place, often, it’s not good enough. It’s pretty standard for the employer to have a few measures in place. Still, ideally, a business uses a layered approach. This means employee training, posters, and signage warning employees of potential hazards, specific steps and measures, and so forth.
There also needs to be a continuous analysis of whether or not the steps in place are effective and if new hazards and issues should be addressed.
While the statistics reveal some alarming facts regarding accidents, in particular slips and falls in the workplace, they also reveal areas where improvements can be made. For example, employers taking a more layered approach and being proactive in accident prevention can significantly reduce the issues that arise. This results in fewer work hours lost and higher productivity.
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