Workplace Safety Risks That You May Have Overlooked

Photo Courtesy: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner

Regardless of the type of business that you operate or manage, it’s essential to remain aware of the potential safety risks and find ways to cope with them. This type of mindset has many advantages, and some of them are less obvious than others.

For example, when your employees feel safe in their work environment they’ll be more productive, and morale will be higher too. Remember that you can’t take care to combat safety risks if you don’t know that they exist.

Improperly Trained Employees

Employee education is important because it helps boost the workflow while avoiding accidents. Keep things running smoothly by training your employees, beginning on their first day at work. It might be useful to plan on giving them several weeks of training before you send them out on their own. Even then, it’s smart to start some sort of mentoring program where experienced employees shadow new hires and help them when problems arise.

Training that only occurs during a person’s first few weeks in the workplace will undoubtedly fall short. Insist that each of your workers display their competency periodically so you can be sure that they’re on track. If you spot a problem, simply take prompt action to get them the training that they need to succeed.

Lack of Emergency Preparedness

It’s impossible to know for sure when an emergency will strike, but there’s no excuse for not being ready when one does. Although it’s common for people to be a bit flustered in uncertain situations, you can minimize that response by fleshing out a detailed crisis communication plan and storing it in an easily accessible area. It might be worthwhile to meet with a corporate communications expert to learn the best ways to format your plan in a language that’s clear, concise and appropriate for your industry.

Poor Visual Monitoring

Planning for the worst-case scenario is part of being an informed businessperson. If you have costly equipment in your possession that you need in order to handle your daily needs, have you ever stopped to consider what you would do in the event of a break-in? Home security systems can keep an eye on things even when the premises are vacant. If something is amiss, security systems from brands such as FrontPoint can spot a problem and send help immediately. For more information, click here.

Data Security Concerns

It’s also crucial to maintain the security of your data. When you have personnel changes, make sure to alter any computer passwords and door security codes so that any former employees will not be able to regain access to your building once they’ve left. Evaluate a course of action for data restoration, as well. Hard drives sometimes fail, and even accidents such as a spilled cup of coffee can turn into a disaster.

Do research to find out the names and contact information for trustworthy data recovery companies too. 87% of people who responded to a data recovery study performed at the beginning of the year mentioned that their organization had experienced a breach of data within the past two years. That statistic alone should be more than sufficient to prove that it can certainly happen to you, but there are things you can do to lessen the severity of this type of situation.

“Be Prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America, but it may as well be the mantra of any successful employee or member of upper management. Use the above suggestions as food for thought when you work out a comprehensive security plan for your workplace and enjoy a higher degree of safety from your efforts.

Amie Gottschalk is an avid blogger. You can follow her on Twitter @amiegottschalk.