Small businesses often have restricted budgets, and they cannot afford technology, marketing, and expansion. They can’t even make sufficient arrangements for the security of their employees due to limited financial resources.
First-year workers usually compromise small businesses. They lack sufficient training and experience, which is why, in the construction industry, 48% of worker injury claims are from new workers in the first year of their job. These new workers are also responsible for over half of the total costs of these injury claims, around 52%
This data suggests that injury costs cause significant monetary damages for small businesses. These statistics also explain why 20% of small businesses vamoose within the first year of their inception.
Established organizations face significant losses due to workplace injuries despite having revenue. When small businesses have to bear these losses, they ultimately shut down.
Employees working in small businesses should also get to enjoy safe working environments like those working in established companies. But how? This article suggests the strategies you can adopt to ensure the safety of your workers as a startup business.
OSHA On-Site Program:
Osha has taken the initiative to provide safety and health resources to small businesses free of cost. With OSC program visits, 9,457 injuries were averted.
All you have to do is request a consultation by contacting the consultant of your state. You will find all the relevant information on the OSHA website, and also get your online health and safety OSHA courses from these sites like EHSSchool.com.
After close observation, your consultant, who is well-versed in safety standards such as OSHA 10-Hour vs 30-Hour, will inform you about the changes and improvements you should make in your work setting to avoid potential hazards. After identification, they will recommend some preventive measures for ensuring the safety of your workers. Your employees will receive training at a basic level to enable them to handle emergencies, as outlined in OSHA 10-Hour vs 30-Hour courses. Finally, all of the information will be summarized for you in a written document so you can go through it whenever you need it with ease.
However, it is important to remember this training will be general training and will not guarantee that your company will pass OSHA inspection. If you want tailored training sessions with guaranteed compliance with OSHA standards and success in inspections, you must invest in the OSHA 10-Hour and 30-Hour Training programs.
Safety Strategies Beyond OSHA Training:
Don’t fret if you have limited resources and you’re concerned about the safety and health of your employees. Consider the following suggestions to reduce risks in your workplace free of cost.
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Regular Meetings:
The supervisor should conduct regular meetings with the team and educate them on how they can maintain their safety on a personal level. These meetings can be conducted within the premises of your workplace. However, the supervisor must research the safety standards before introducing them to the employees.
Your supervisor can check out the OSHA website and go through the safety manuals they provide.
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Safety observations:
You don’t need a proper team to make safety inspections in a small setup. One or two supervisors would suffice to monitor a small group of workers. Your supervisors can shoulder this responsibility effectively if they possess a few qualities. If he is vigilant, attentive to environmental cues, and has good judgment, he is a suitable candidate for carrying out safety observations.
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Reinforce your employees:
Reinforcement can motivate your employees to perform better. You would wonder what reinforcement you can give within your company’s budget. Secondary reinforcers are the best option for you.
Positively reinforce your employees by appreciating or patting them on their backs. Reinforcing their safety behaviors does not mean that you have to give salary increments.
Social reinforcers, merely a warm smile, would be enough to strengthen the safety behavior of your employees.
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Promote open communication:
Flexibility and empathy don’t cost a penny. Your supervisor should not be rigid. Instead, he should be open to all kinds of conversations the workers want to have. An inclusive work environment will give your employees the confidence to share suggestions and report problems.
When everyone contributes to the conversation, innovative solutions will come into existence. These ideas can be implemented to avoid mishaps and maintain safety.
Remember, a good leader asks and does not tell.
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Productive use of smartphones:
Every worker these days has a smartphone. They need to be educated about how to use it productively and effectively.
As an employer, you keep your employees updated with the latest methods and procedures that are being used in workplaces. To help them better understand, you can share links to educational videos to watch as visuals register better into the minds of human beings. Research articles also provide informative insights. You can also share pdf of these articles with your workers.
Gradually, they will adopt this pattern and start looking for relevant work-related material online and implement the methods in their own operations.
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Share knowledge:
You should encourage proficient workers to help and educate new workers. These skilled workers can also be positioned as monitors to observe new workers. In case of any problems, they can notify the supervisors. They can also give demonstrations to the new workers on how to do tasks by working alongside them. This way, they work together and learn from each other.
Thus, it is a good idea to select a skilled worker from each department and assign them the role of monitors. This will help lessen the workload for supervisors as well.
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Follow Laws:
If you adhere to the safety rules set by the state for your organization, you can avoid maximum accidents. Following laws is easy on the pocket and ensures the safety of workers.
These safety-related laws are essential but also complicated to implement in the beginning.
OHSA training programs give in-depth information and guidance on how to show compliance with the Laws to prevent accidents and litigation.
Hence, we suggest that you consider taking an OSHA course.
Conclusion:
Employees are the biggest asset of every organization, be it small or big. Their safety should be paramount, as without them, your company cannot survive.
You can implement the strategies mentioned above to avoid accidents and reduce mishaps. However, we do not guarantee that they will be 100% effective. If you want guaranteed safety and effectiveness, you must invest in OSHA Training Courses.
We promise you won’t regret it!
