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Staying safe at work: Tips for being a safe employee

On Behalf of | Jan 27, 2016 | Firm News, Workplace Safety

As an individual in the workforce, being safe is a priority. Not all jobs are safe by nature; construction jobs require you to work with major equipment, sharp and heavy objects and other dangerous items. Even office jobs have times when an employee may be working on a ladder and have a risk of falling or could be working with scissors or sharp objects capable of puncturing an individual who falls, trips or is otherwise allowed to come into contact with the blade.

To stay safe at work, it’s important to make sure you’re properly trained. If your employer isn’t willing to train you, then you may want to seek out advice from your attorney or your human resources department. It’s your employer’s job to manage the risks to his employees, and that means giving you proper training.

You should know that you’re doing the job right before you’re left to do it alone. Would you expect a new worker to use a chainsaw without learning proper technique? Probably not, and that means you shouldn’t either. A supervisor or trainer should be there to help new workers learn the proper safety steps for using dangerous equipment.

Another thing to know is how to seek help. Who do you contact if you get hurt? When there’s an emergency, you should call 911, but then what do you do? How does workers’ compensation come into play once you miss work? These are all important questions to have answered before you work a dangerous job.

Most importantly, make sure you have the right safety equipment. Failing to have the right equipment can put you in serious danger. This is one safety problem that could be avoided.

Source: Talking Safety With Young Workers, “Tips to stay safe at work,” accessed Jan. 27, 2016

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