What Is Workplace Safety?: Workplace Safety & Hazards: Types, Examples and Prevention Tips
What Is Workplace Safety?: Workplace Safety & Hazards: Types, Examples and Prevention Tips
What Is Workplace Safety?: Workplace Safety & Hazards: Types, Examples and Prevention Tips
Prevention Tips
What is Workplace Safety?
Workplace safety refers to the limitation of elements that can cause harm,
accidents, and other negative outcomes in the workplace. It represents a
culmination of policies, behaviors, and precautions that work to limit hazards,
accidents, and other kinds of harm in a work environment.
More often than not, workplace safety directly affects the productivity and well-
being of your workforce, and these directly affect the quality of output of your
business. Hence, employers must strive to create a safe environment that offers
an acceptable level of risk for all employees.
Electrical accidents are very common in the workplace and they are caused by
unprotected exposure to high voltage electrical outlets. According to the
Electrical Safety Foundation International, electrical hazards cause more than
300 deaths and 4,000 injuries in American workplaces every year.
Electrical burns, electrical fires, and electrical shocks are 3 major types of
electrical accidents. Electrical shocks occur when bodily contact with electricity
causes the current to run through your body and in severe cases, it can lead to
heart or respiratory failures.
Many times, electrical burns are aftermaths of electrical shocks and they can be
internal or external. Electrical fires occur when un-insulated wiring or broken
circuits come in contact with flammable material in the workplace such as
cotton and wood shavings.
Other scenarios that can result in electrical accidents include the following:
Hidden electrical outlets in the workspace.
Lack of training
Here are a few things to do when electrical accidents; especially shocks and
burns, happen in the workplace.
Do not remove any blisters or burnt flesh from the victim’s body.
Always inspect the working area for uninsulated wires, broken cord, and
exposed electrical circuits beforehand.
Toxic chemicals in the workplace can also hamper the safety of employees;
especially when they are exposed to these substances without appropriate
caution. Chemical exposure can result in a number of effects ranging from
cancer and organ failures to death.
There are different toxic chemicals that employees may be exposed to as they
complete daily tasks in the workplace. Usually, these chemicals are classified
according to the type of harm that they can cause to the body as shown below:
Corrosives: These are chemicals that can cause irreversible bodily harm
such as hydrochloric acid.
Employees who work in industries that require the use of machinery and tools
such as construction or transportation are at risk of machinery and tools
accidents. A report by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
suggests that 12 of the 874 deaths in the construction industry in 2014 resulted
from machinery and tools accidents.
In many cases, these accidents are caused by the use of faulty equipment, lack
of adequate knowledge, product defects, or negligence of stipulated safety
precautions. Common examples of workplace machinery and tools accidents
are:
Workers who are victims of machinery and tools accidents are entitled to some
sort of compensation that caters to medical bills and similar expenses. If the
accident was caused by a defective product, such an employee may have a
product liability claim against the manufacturer (s) of the equipment.
Workplaces Safety Tips to Prevent Machine and Tool Accidents
Use the Formplus incident report form to swiftly file reports of any
machinery and tools to prevent accident.
Many times, such negative actions are targeted towards specific demography;
thus, employees may suffer abuse and discrimination as a result of their social
status, gender, race, or physical appearance. Workplace harassment is also
known as workplace aggression and it can take several forms including
bullying, psychological abuse, and sexual assault.
Behaviors and actions that can be termed "harassing" in the workplace cut
across body-shaming, offensive jokes, and slurs such as racist comments,
intimidation, and physical assaults. The harasser does not have to be your boss
or employer; it can be a co-worker or even someone who has other affiliations
with the organization such as a client.
As a victim of workplace harassment, the first thing you may want to do is stand
up for yourself and clearly communicate your disapproval of such behavior to
your harasser. Also, utilize appropriate complaint channels to report cases of
workplace harassment for redress.
How to Prevent Workplace Harassment
A fire accident is a very serious danger that can result in loss of life and
property in the workplace. A report by the US Bureau of Statistics states that
nearly 200 workers die from workplace fires and explosions every year, and
more than 5,000 others sustain minor to major injuries.
Clutter: Untidy work environments can also result in fire outbreaks. When
work spaces are littered with inflammable material and poorly ventilated,
it is easy for fire accidents to happen.
Do not place inflammable materials near ignition sources like circuits and
electrical outlets.
Promptly inform your employer about fire hazards using the Formplus
incident report form.
Do not overload power circuits.
Workplace Theft
In some other cases, employees feel that engaging in workplace theft will not
affect the organization; especially when such action involves obtaining non-cash
properties like office equipment, stationery, or office supplies. In other words,
these persons view the organization as an anonymous entity that will not suffer
significant hurt as a result of their “minor” actions.
As an employer, you may have been a victim of one or more of these types of
workplace theft:
Payroll: Some employees can apply for compensation for work not done
such as payments for false overtime.
Cash Theft: Cash theft is one of the most common types of workplace
theft. It involves unlawful obtaining of cash held in the workplace such as
stealing money from the company’s safe.
Use the Formplus incident report form to report any cases of theft in your
organization.
Workers with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to certain types
of accidents in the workplace such as accidents resulting from chemical
exposure. Employers must take care to accurately document the medical history
of employees and to also carry out medical examinations before employment.
Use the Formplus employee complaint form to track and record any safety
complaints made by employees.
Employees must be duly informed about workplace safety measures and trained
on how to maintain workplace safety at all times. As an employer, normalize
organizing compulsory safety workshops and training that deal with different
aspects of workplace safety for all stakeholders in your organization.
In your workplace safety policy, detail procedures for dealing with emergency
situations such as fire outbreaks and workplace violence. Your organization's
safety policy must be reviewed from time to time and every employee must
have a copy of this document for future references.
Incident Report
Create an effective system for filing and processing reports on different types of
workplace accidents. Employees should make it a point of duty to swiftly report
any accidents in the workplace to the management for proper investigation and
other necessary actions.
You can set up a manual system for incident reports using paper forms and
verbal reporting channels or you can automate the process with the Formplus
incident report form. With the Formplus incident report form, you can easily
document any injuries, disasters, or accidents in the workplace.
More than creating workplace safety policies, organizations must set up in-
house regulatory teams that work to ensure adherence to these standard
practices. This team can conduct regular safety surveys using the Formplus
employee survey form to gather feedback on the effectiveness of safety
precautions and other necessary information.