How Small Business Owners Can Create a Safe, Healthy Workplace

Every company, from the largest corporations to the smallest of start-ups, should provide a safe and healthy workplace environment for their employees. This is not only good business practice, it’s the law. Health and safety dangers occur frequently in the workplace. This leads to a very hazardous environment that can cause a number of health-related issues and cost the company—and the employee—money. The best way to avoid any hazardous conditions in the workplace is to use common sense and follow the law. Here are a few of the best ways to create a safe, healthy workplace.
Follow the Law
Workplace safety is important in every workplace, regardless of industry. It prevents serious injury and maintains higher safety levels in the work environment. The problem is that a number of smaller companies do not fully understand that this is the law. If these businesses do not comply with that law, they might face serious legal problems. There is a large list of OSHA rules and regulations that an employer should follow. The Occupational Safety and Health Act provides those important rules. Post those rules and regulations in clear view to make sure managers and staff are fully aware of the safety rules and regulations.
Workplace Inspections
All employers should perform a regular inspection of the workplace. Check for any type of hazardous material on the property. Look for faulty wiring, malfunctioning equipment, and other potential dangers. The fact is that every employer should demand a safe and healthy environment. Make sure that the workplace is following those rules through frequent inspections.
Workplace Violence Policy
It happens more often than you might think—an unruly employee turns violent, putting their coworkers in danger. Some might even suffer an injury. Even a small company, with only a few employees, should draft a plan to handle workplace violence. In fact, company violence should take top priority. A risk management specialist with an online safety degree recommends that employers develop step-by-step procedures for handling violence in their workplace. Certainly, this takes training and education. OSHA provides valuable information on workplace violence, training, and education.
Communicate
It is important to have open communication between employers and employees. Employees should have a voice in designing a workplace safety program. Ask the employees about safety problems that they’ve noticed or experienced personally. Assign a team of employees to look for hazards and report them to management.
Making a work environment safe begins with following safety rules—inspecting the area, listening to the employees, and developing strategies that address the pressing issues.