Employer Responsibility, Employee Safety in the Workplace, Accidents on the Job

How to Stay Safe at Work

Advice on Personal Security in Buildings – Safety Tips

15 Jan 2014

Construction workers at a considerable height without appropriate fall protection equipment:

photo : Wikipedia

How to Stay Safe at Work Guide

Workplace Accidents

As we spend so much of our working lives on the job, it’s not surprising that a considerable amount of accidents do take place at work. The main responsibility for avoiding such accidents does fall on the shoulders of your employer. This, however, doesn’t mean you, as an employee, don’t have an important roles to play and you are also responsible for your own health and safety, as well as those colleagues around you. Working with your employers and the health and safety representative can significantly reduce your chances of injury at work.

Tips for Staying Safe

Whilst the causes and types of accident and injury that can take place at work are numerous, there are some general things you can bear in mind to avoid getting hurt. Here are some simple tips to keep in mind, when it comes to safety:

– Say no you always have the right to say no to doing a task that you feel may result in injury. Though it may be difficult to be assertive in taking advantage of this right you cannot be punished for taking your own safety seriously.
– Ask for training having the knowledge and skills to identify and minimise hazards at work will reduce the chance of accidents happening. This is good for you and your employer as accidents cost them money so they should be willing to invest in the relevant training.
– Ask for help if you are unsure about any of the tasks you are working on don’t be afraid to ask. Your supervisor’s role is to help you out so get them to double check if what you’re doing is right and safe.
– Wear protective clothing these should always be provided by your employer when needed, as such it is your responsibility to wear them – these clothes are also known as PPE. If you don’t have the necessary equipment make sure to ask for it. Using a cable protector severely reduces accidents in the workplace.
– Be rested a lot of injuries occur when people are too tired to do the job properly. This means it is important that you get enough sleep before going to work. It also means that you should take advantage of any breaks you are entitled to as it can improve concentration later in the day.
– Follow the procedures your work should have a set of policies and procedures for carrying out any hazardous tasks. If you’ve forgotten the exact details it can be wise to refresh your memory by giving them another read.

Accidents Happen

Whilst the above tips can be useful in making sure that accidents are less likely to occur, they still do happen. If this does occur you’ll want to make sure that the correct procedures are followed any the right person takes responsibility. The first step is to report any injuries that do occur and begin the process. This may lead to workplace accident claims and you may be entitled to compensation. With all this in mind you can be sure to keep safe and healthy at work.

Why not learn more about PPE In Construction – the construction industry has extremely high numbers of accidents which could be minimised with the use of correct PPE.

Employee Safety in the Workplace article received 150114

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