There are very few things that are as crucial to the longevity of an enterprise as workplace safety. Moreover, since workplace safety does indeed start at the top, it’s something that is easily controlled by efficient managers, CEOs and owners. In order to make sure your business is operating with safety in mind, and to ensure that you are maintaining compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regarding workplace safety, it’s important that you are diligent about your safety planning.
Analyze Your Current Safety Plan
Firstly, you’ll want to collaborate with other managers and organizational leaders in order to evaluate your current operating procedures. You may even consider bringing in a third-party safety planner to assist in the process. Consulting with a professional oftentimes uncovers faults that were left unnoticed through internal analyses. If any shortcomings are identified, either by a third-party consultant or by an internal team, it’s important to outline steps for rectifying such issues in the future.
Establish Proper Safety Protocol
After you’ve targeted specific shortcomings or faults in your current safety plan, it’s time to establish a proper and standardized safety protocol throughout the workplace. Make sure to incorporate any local laws regarding safety into your new plan, as regulations vary greatly from state-to-state, city-to-city and even industry-to-industry.
This is another area where a third-party consultant can come in handy. Since laws and regulations regarding workplace safety are so varied, and since some of the information can be difficult to interpret, it’s important that you understand every single law, requirement and nuance that applies to your workplace.
Inform Your Employees
Once you’ve established a thorough safety protocol, it’s important that managers inform their entire staff of the new expectations. This can be achieved through a group-oriented meeting or even on an individual basis, but it’s important that all of your employees fully understand any new safety procedures or precautions.
However, simple verbal communication is not enough. You’ll want to reiterate your new safety protocol through a variety of means, including on-site posters or displays, regular safety meetings and company newsletters. Post emergency exit maps in highly visible locations and, if possible, reward those who are considered your safest employees. Doing so will reinforce the importance of workplace safety while ensuring that all of your employees – including managers and subordinate staff members – are on the same page.
Test Out Your Plan
Testing out your plan in a real-world setting is another key step to ensuring the efficiency of any safety plan. Holding an unannounced drill is a great way to catch your staff when they’re not expecting it, and this method will often produce useful results when trying to determine the efficiency of your new safety plan. If your staff fails to meet the expectations or requirements established by your new safety plan, don’t hesitate to hold more unannounced drills as needed.
Regularly scheduled safety drills can also go a long way in ensuring your employee’s knowledge of the proper safety procedures. Such drills often prompt employees to do their homework beforehand, hence driving home critical points of your safety plan.
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