Creating a Safe Workplace

THE FACTS

In 2017 5,147 deaths were reported according to OSHA. That averages 99 fatalities a week and 14 a day. After looking at these statistics you must ask yourself “how many of these could have been prevented?”.

The best way to minimize workplace accidents and fatalities is to create a Safety-First Mentality. Creating a Safety-first Mentality is easy if you apply these simple steps.

Workplace Safety TRAINING

Every Team is Only as Strong as Its Weakest Link

New employees are the most at risk when it comes to workplace hazards. Maybe this is their first time working a job like this or their first-time using power tools. Their disadvantage of being inexperienced is also their greatest advantage if you can provide workplace safety training in a timely manner.

OSHA provides a Fatal Facts webpage where you can read about and learn from fatal accidents. If you read through them, you will notice that many of the accidents involved someone new to the job. Employees who have bad habits are at risk as well. Breaking a bad habit can be hard, but with proper training and good practice, anyone can have a Safety-First Mentality.

Training also reinforces good working habits and educates employees and employers on new and improved safety requirements and safety measures. Here at Impact Safety, we provide OSHA safety training and OSHA certification courses such as; OSHA 10, OSHA 30, Competent Person classes, and many more!

Always remember practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Be the Example

By following simple safety procedures, you can be an example to everyone you work with. Wearing your hardhat, gloves, safety glasses, and hearing protection is a great way to lead by example. Having all your certifications and documents on hand is another good example to set. If someone has questions, have answers. Attending a competent person class will help you gain more knowledge about your field of work and provide the information to answer questions anyone might have. If you are a member with us, you can call Mon-Fri 8 am-4 pm at (706)-790-6892 with any safety-related questions you might have.

BUDGETING FOR SAFETY

Money doesn’t come first

Although preventing a workplace accident with a Safety-First Mentality will save you potential millions, workers comp adds up quickly! According to the NSC, in 2017, it cost employers $39,000 per medically consulted injury and $1,150,000 per workplace fatality. These numbers do not account for the potential additional expenses below.

•   Legal fees
•   OSHA fines
•   Accommodation costs
•   Worksite shut down
•   Damaged tools and property

Let’s say we’re at a construction site and a worker is on top of a roof with no safety harness, no PFAs (fall protection), no guardrails are in place, and he slips and falls off the roof needing an ambulance and an extended hospital stay.

The medical bills alone will cost upwards of $40,000; OSHA fines can range from $5,000-$70,000, and the site shutdown will cost valuable time, and time is money.

Let’s go back and say that the worker has a harness ($60), a retractable lanyard ($150), and guardrails in place. Now, if he slips and falls, he could either catch himself on the guardrail or in the worst-case scenario, his PFAs will stop him from hitting the ground. 

$210 vs $39,000-$110,000

As you can see, spending a relatively small amount of money on safety will save you thousands, if not millions, in the end.

At Impact Safety we also provide fall protection classes to educate our clients about the dangers of working from heights, as well as how to manage and protect yourself from falling hazards.

CONCLUSION

Safety is always first, and if you apply the simple steps of Training, Leading by Example, and Budgeting For Safety, you and your workplace can save lives with the Safety-First Mentality.