Preventing injuries at work

It is a standard requirement that employers perform risk assessment for probable accidents and implement measures to prevent accidents in the health and safety procedures practised by them. It is expected of employees to strictly follow these measures to assist in avoiding accidents at work.

How accidents happen

The most common workplace injuries are strains and sprains. Roughly 19% of all injuries or illnesses at the workplace are caused by floors, ground surfaces and walkways. Improper storage of supplies and merchandise as well as cleaning materials, toner and other toxic chemicals sometimes leads to serious injuries. About 20 to 25% of all serious burns treated at hospitals are workplace related and about 5% account for workplace deaths. The leading cause of work-related deaths is car and truck accidents.

Solutions for preventing workplace injuries

Educational and training programmes on various machines and jobs increase employees’ awareness of the dangers present in a specific job scenario. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that sufficient training is in place and therefore that employees know the safest way of performing any given job. It is also the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the materials and equipment used by employees are properly functioning and that employees abide by the safety regulations required for the job.

Emergency medical supplies, starting with a basic first aid kit, should be on hand and first aid training should be available for all employees.

Safe flooring design, covered cables and warning signs if an area is temporarily slippery or wet should be standard practice. Sufficient lighting and hand rails in areas prone to accidents are of great importance.

In the event of an accident

• • Respond quickly – it is important to address the medical needs first, but do not move the injured person/s until medical help arrives

• • Report the injury – most companies have insurance policies in place and it is important to report the injury as soon as the immediate dangers have been cleared

• • Employees should be made aware of the procedures to follow in the case of an injury on duty (IOD)

• • Collect the facts – to determine the exact cause of the accident, it is imperative to speak to any witnesses and obtain information regarding the incident to gather evidence and avoid future recurrences of an injury

• • Get legal advice – if an accident occurred due to negligence on the part of an employee, an employee should obtain legal advice for future claims against a company.

When employees consider health and safety as their own responsibility, most accidents at work can be prevented. Employers hold the biggest responsibility in safeguarding the work environment but ultimately it is up to each individual to conduct his or her work in a safe and sensible manner.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about preventing injuries at work.

Sources:

 

http://wiki.injuryboard.com/
http://wiki.injuryboard.com/
http://ezinearticles.com/
http://www.spineuniverse.com/