6 Preventative Ways to Avoid Workplace Accidents and Injuries

Back at work after a well deserved holiday? I'm sure you're probably thinking you have too much to catch up on to think about safety. Think again, because unlike us, workplace injuries don't take holidays. In fact, injuries are more likely to happen when you're not 100% focused on the task at hand and can happen in any kind of working environment and affect any worker.

While some injuries wouldn’t require urgent attention, there are injuries that can be grave and even life-threatening. This is exactly why all businesses are required to comply with Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) to reduce the occurrence of workplace injuries.

So, what should be done to prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace? Here's 6 preventative measures to keep your workplace safe for everyone:

1. Spread Health & Safety Awareness in the Workplace

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Introduce workers to the Health and Safety At Work Act (HSWA) so they are aware of the health and safety rights and responsibilities of workers, supervisors, and employers. If their work poses safety hazards, make sure they go through a specific workplace health and safety training.

2. Provide Protective Gear

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Anyone working within or passing through areas that contain hazards should be wearing protective gear. Make sure all protective gear is of the best quality and designed for the specific duty or hazard. They must also fit well, feel comfortable and they should meet the current standards from the HSWA Guidance.

3. Inspect the Workplace for Safety Hazards

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Inspect all work areas, access routes, and equipment for possible safety hazards. In addition, it's important to look carefully into the operations to see if there are processes that might result to workers getting injured at work.

4. Be Prepared for Fire Emergencies

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Fire threats are found within any kind of workplace and the only way to prevent accidents and injuries caused by fire is to be ready. Make sure you have the right equipment such as; fire extinguishers, sprinklers, fire blankets or an automated fire control system. The placement and accessibility of this fire safety equipment also plays an important role. They have to be strategically placed in and around your workplace, with all staff being aware of each location in addition to being properly trained on how to react in a fire situation.

5. Get Anti-Slip Mats

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Slips, Trips, and Falls (STFs) are actually among the leading causes of workplace injuries. Severe incidents end up requiring expensive treatment and extensive recovery. That's why companies need to take STFs more seriously by securing STF-prone areas with quality safety mats to help prevent people from slipping.

6. Have a Complete First Aid Set up

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Acquiring First Aid can in fact save a life. This is it's super important to make sure you choose a provider that offers a managed first aid service. An immediate CPR treatment can help someone survive a heart attack. These skills and knowledge can be acquired by training, but you will also need to get a complete, fully-stocked, and updated First Aid Kit. Alternatively you can rent one, which may give you better assurance that it's stocked correctly by being up-to-date and up to legal standards.

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It's important to note, even after following all these preventive measures, it’s impossible to completely avoid accidents from accruing within a workplace - but we can definitely do our best to prevent them from happening.

The content for this article was provided by Alsco Pty Ltd (www.alsco.co.nz ) rental service providers of hospital grade first aid kits, portable defibrillators and anti-slip mats for your workplace.