Did you know that there were 135 worker fatalities in 2022/23, which was an increase from the previous year? This means that there is still work to be done to prevent workplace deaths.
It’s so important to make all workplaces a better place and reinforce safety to prevent these fatalities, whether that be in the form of workplace water safety or building safety.
But how is this done? Let’s take a look at how to create better working environments for your employees…
The importance of health and safety
Health and safety must be at the core of all operations and processes in every workplace, with proper measures adopted to eliminate workplace fatalities.
Here are some areas that your business can focus on to continually improve and make it more achievable to reach zero fatalities:
Past Learnings
Lessons from past fatalities must be proactively applied to known fatal risks by implementing critical controls.
Zero Fatalities Mindset
Fatality prevention needs to be sustained while continuing efforts to reduce overall injuries.
Risk Management
While fatality prevention is structured around risk management, any business must improve its capability to conduct high-quality risk assessments and address varying risk tolerance levels.
Safety Leadership
Safety starts from the top, so strong safety leadership at all levels is crucial for achieving and sustaining fatality-free environments.
Good Housekeeping
By clearing obstacles, covering cables, signposting uneven surfaces, and using shadow boards to organise and store equipment, you can help reduce workplace accidents and fatalities.
Critical Controls
Fatal risks must be recognised, and efforts must focus on eliminating them or upgrading critical controls to be more reliable, rather than relying solely on procedural or behavioural controls.
Training
Training provides all staff members with the necessary tools to effectively reduce workplace risk.
Safety Signs
Employers must provide safety signs when there’s a significant risk that can’t be avoided in any other way. They should be maintained regularly and placed in an obvious position.
Zone Classification
Effectively zoning your workspace can help with hazardous elements of a workplace. If there’s any risk of explosives, the space must follow ATEX zone classifications. You’ll need to undertake regular risk assessments to correctly classify and manage your zones.
Provide Protection Equipment
Personal protection equipment is essential and should be enforced throughout the workplace. Essential time should be taken to teach employees how to properly use goggles, face protection, hard hats, safety shoes, and more.
Don’t Take Shortcuts
Accidents happen when employees skip steps to try and complete a job before a deadline, for example. Make sure all instructions are clear and organised to prevent these potential fatalities.
Look Into Safety Vulnerabilities
Every business is unique when it comes to the different risks that may arise, so they don’t all necessarily have the same safety concerns. Pay extra attention to common accidents, so you can enforce specific strategies to keep these setbacks from happening.
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Fatalities are the last things you want within a workplace and there are many ways in which your business can begin to try and eliminate risks waiting to happen. Incorporating these into your business will allow for a safer working environment with a lower risk of fatalities.
