Workplace accidents and injuries cost American businesses $167 billion in 2022 alone. That works out to a bill of $1,040 per worker, or $40,000 per injury sustained. These accidents cost the wider American economy over $50 billion in lost productivity, too, as many who sustain an injury at work are unable to complete their duties for a sustained period.
Businesses that are serious about mitigating occupational risks must take a proactive approach to accident avoidance. Taking a proactive approach ensures everyone understands their responsibilities and follows safety training even when under pressure.
Embracing a proactive approach requires firms to make good use of emergent technology like smart tech, too. Smart sensors can detect faults in existing equipment and alert site managers to potential issues sooner. This can prevent catastrophic failures, keep workers safe, and improve the overall productivity of the business.
Effective safety training is at the core of proactive workplace health management. A clear, well-established safety training program can boost organizational resilience and will ensure your employees know what to do should a screw come loose or a weather event knock out your power supply. This is particularly important for new hires, who may be unfamiliar with the basics of safety training in your industry.
For your safety training to be effective, you’ll need to regularly refresh your existing team with training that re-acquaints them with the basics of your safety policies. Refresher training is crucial for the long-term success of your firm, as regular re-training can modify behavior and help curb dangerous activities at work. Other benefits of refresher safety training include:
- Keep employees up to date with the latest compliance and regulatory changes.
- Identify knowledge gaps or common mistakes at work.
- Improve employee’s security, confidence, and understanding of their role.
- Minimize the risk of a workplace error leading to an accident or injury.
- Boost loyalty and reduce turnover by enhancing the employee experience.
Businesses that care about protecting their employee’s health cannot overlook the importance of regular retraining. If you’re unsure of where to start, begin with basic retraining programs that cover topics like:
- Emergency response.
- Regulatory compliance.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- Communication protocols.
Championing key compliance protocols or cleaning policies shows staff you are serious about protecting their health and care about the small things that keep folks safe. This can help you create a culture of health at work that minimizes the risk of injury and illness.
Creating a safety culture can help you mitigate occupational risks like workplace accidents. However, if you want to truly support employees, you’ll need to take steps to protect their long-term health and well-being.
Taking a proactive approach to occupational health is particularly important if you work in an industry that handles chemicals or carcinogenic materials. You cannot knowingly expose workers to health hazards and should take measures to reduce the risk of illness or injury. This means you’ll need to protect workers against known carcinogens in common materials like:
- Asbestos.
- Benzene.
- Formaldehyde.
- Cadmium.
- Glyphosate.
Materials like cadmium are highly toxic and particularly common in manufacturing industries, where the substance is used to reduce the risk of corrosion. As such, you must take measures to protect your workforce against substances like cadmium lest you cause significant health complications for your team. You can detect exposure to chemicals like cadmium by utilizing smart sensors that test air quality and keep folks safe.
You’ll also need to take proactive measures to improve the health of your remote workers. Remote employees face health hazards like strains and cardiovascular issues due to sitting for prolonged periods. Invest in these employees by paying for ergonomic chairs and desks. You can also offer to pay for gym memberships and access to personal trainers who can help them overcome the health challenges associated with sitting at a desk all day.
Smart sensors are increasingly valuable in the disaster response and recovery world. They can detect anything from seismic activity to misaligned plates in your fabrication machines. Smart sensors can feed valuable data to AI-driven algorithms, too, which can break down huge data sets and detect faults in equipment before human operators are exposed to a potential accident.
Smart sensors can also be used to detect issues with indoor air quality. For example, sensors can detect air quality indicators like:
- Carbon dioxide.
- Particulate matter.
- Temperature and humidity.
- Other air quality index parameters (like sulfur dioxide and particle pollution).
Identifying issues with air quality is key to keeping staff healthy and reducing the risk of exposure to harmful toxins in the air. Take proactive steps to mitigate air issues — for example, in an office building, it can be as simple as installing an air filtration system and maintaining the HVAC system. This will also boost your employee’s motivation and loyalty, as investing in safety tech like smart sensors shows your team you are serious about protecting their overall well-being and long-term wellness.
Taking proactive steps to mitigate occupational risks is crucial for the success of your company. Even simple steps, like offering refresher training, can meaningfully reduce the risk of an accident and boost your team’s productivity. Just be sure to follow through with innovative upgrades like smart tech, as this will keep you ahead of compliance and regulatory changes.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katie Brenneman
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, education, and fitness-related content. When she isn't writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Brenneman, you can follow her on Twitter.
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