It should be obvious that a company should not profit at the expense of its workers’ health. Workplace safety is incredibly important, and when regulations and safety procedures are not followed, the workplace becomes very dangerous for the people who are employed there. A Nov. 4 report covers this important topic, which should be at the heart of all workplaces.
When a worker is injured, it costs the company more than just an insurance premium. The worker may not be able to come back to work, which means lost hours and wasted money on training. The best way to prevent these kinds of expenses from getting out of control is to have a good workplace safety plan. One of the most effective ways to reduce costs is simply not to have costs related to injuries at all; that means taking steps to prevent injuries of all kinds in the workplace.
In your workplace, you should have access to personal protective equipment as well as documents explaining what to do if you’re exposed to workplace chemicals or other hazards. You should know your policy on reporting injuries and what you should do if you are injured in the workplace. If an accident does take place in the workplace, your employer should be taking steps to figure out how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
Identifying and fixing problems in the workplace can help save lives and prevent injuries. With the right help, workplaces can become safer. If you’re injured, workers’ compensation is there to cover your needs, but the real challenge is making sure something is learned from the situation so that others don’t suffer the same injuries.
Source: Industry Week, “Profits Should Not Come at the Cost of Workplace Safety,” Janice Berthold, Nov. 04, 2016
