Commercial spaces can be filled with potential safety hazards that might not be obvious to the untrained eye. These major and minor hazards can cause serious injuries which can then turn into lawsuits. To prevent this from happening here are simple tips that will effectively reduce these hazards in your commercial space.
Secure Equipment
In addition to taking care of minor maintenance problems that can potentially create serious injuries, you should also focus on securing equipment that can land someone in the hospital. Equipment injuries fall under the category of the most common workplace injuries. This is why commercial spaces need a basic set of safety equipment to protect their employees from harm, and themselves from lawsuits.
Fire alarms and extinguishers are crucial for minor fire emergencies. Gloves and any kind of hand protection are important for cleaning any kind of mess involving bodily fluids. You should also install warning signs as well as first aid kits. Furthermore, ladders and step stools should be used to place items on shelves, and brack braces to protect employees if they’re moving heavy items.
Remove Them
One of the simplest and most straightforward things you can do to reduce safety hazards in a commercial space is to get rid of them. It’s easy for minor maintenance tasks to get looked over because they may not seem like a threat and they are easy to avoid.
However, these should be taken very seriously because small problems such as weak spots on the floor and unsteady shelves can cause serious injury. Personal injury lawyers over at www.stewartlawoffices.net emphasize, if someone’s been injured as a result of these safety hazards, no matter how minor they looked, they have a good chance of winning the case with every right to demand maximum compensation. This can be especially important if you’re expecting high hospital bills and a long recovery from the sustained injuries.
Create a Safety Culture
One way to ensure overall safety in your workplace is to create an effective safety culture. This safety culture is mainly based on addressing the way safety incidents are measured. Incident rates are a necessary metric and you should refocus on a workplace safety checklist that comprises actions that are aimed towards preventing your employees from getting injured.
To make this safety culture solid, you should also set up a separate intranet portal on your company’s main page where all of the necessary information can be easily accessed by everyone. This should include protocol manuals, safety training resources, and progress reports. This will ensure that there will be fewer accidents in the future because you will be aware of all the potential safety hazards.
Keep It Clean
Similar to minor maintenance hiccups, a cluttered or dirty commercial space may lead to accidents that can be easily avoided. The clutter aside from being aesthetically unpleasing can also be a big safety hazard. Luckily, there are many ways to organize a commercial space to be clutter-free. Make sure that all the boxes are safely tucked away from walkways, and if there are any spills make sure they are properly cleaned.
If you’re unsure where to start, you can follow simple guides such as this one to help you declutter the commercial space. To keep the space clean, you should conduct regular checks for potentially dangerous items like tangled cords and cables, messy tools, or other safety hazards that can easily be avoided.
Keep Improving
You should also keep in mind that your safety protocols will need to keep improving because the chances are they won’t be perfect from the start. More often than not, there should be a basic and consistent pattern of review of all the safety and emergency plans every year. The evaluation of these programs should address and refine the needs of the employees.
Furthermore, you should make it easier for the employees themselves to come to you with new ideas and suggestions on how to keep the commercial space free of safety hazards. This can be achieved following the HR of your company, or you can simply install a suggestion box or a bulletin board that will ensure management stays on top of the safety culture.
The safety of the employees should be the number one priority in all commercial spaces. However, accidents do happen exactly due to poor safety hazards management. If you’ve been injured you are entitled to a settlement reward for your wounds. Make sure you consult your personal injury lawyer on the best course of action to get the most out of your case.