Workplace safety is essential. It protects your employees from harm while creating a healthy work environment for everyone. It also protects your company in many ways. If you are interested in learning more about why safety protocols in your business matter, please continue reading.
Proper workplace safety training protects your entire staff.
The people who work for you are there to do a job. They come to work every day to sit in the back office or staff the front desk. They put on protective gear and produce products that your company will make money from. They also deserve to be fully protected from potential harm while in your employment.
That is why enacting safety protocols, such as WHMIS training, is crucial for a healthy work environment. Without them, there are no standards, and anything can happen. Through proper training, everyone on your factory floor will understand the care that needs to be taken when interacting with certain products or chemicals. In addition, this valuable training can go as far as saving lives because your employees will be able to easily recognize what they are dealing with and the potential ramifications of cross-contamination or even breathing in certain chemicals, for example. High-quality training pays off.
Safety protocols at work are beneficial for your bottom line.
When you and your upper management team sit down to create a budget and review the previous year’s expenditures, it is important to pay attention to what you spend on safety protocols. If you have had accidents that required shutting down a production line, cleaning a room for hours, paying litigation fees and workers’ compensation claims, in addition to anything else that may have occurred, then you need to refocus your attention on implementing safety best practices and spending more money on those efforts.
If you calculate your expenses, the money your company will spend on safety training and enacting safe strategies will save you by avoiding downtime, lowering unnecessary expenses, and preventing legal attention that comes with unwanted fines. Another expense may come in the form of damage repair. Of course, you can hire a crisis management team or public relations firm to repair any damage from the lax safety policies, but that will cost you quite a bit. In the end, it is a much wiser move to save your company’s hard-earned money or spend it elsewhere than waste it because you did not take your legal responsibilities seriously from the start.
Workplace safety impacts more than your employees.
The people you employ deserve a safe working environment that is free from harm, of course. But what about anyone else who visits your office buildings, warehouses, or work site? They matter, too. While that should go without saying, it is worth mentioning. Not only will your efforts to enact proper safety policies within your company help prevent workplace accidents and compensation claims, but they will also help deter accidents involving customers, clients, and visitors from having an accident on-site that may result in a legal claim.
Whether an incident occurs at any of your businesses involving an employee or customer, the legal issues will be concerning. Beyond that is your reputation. In this day and age, news spreads as fast as a click on someone’s smartphone, and your stature in the community can take a hit very quickly. In business, your reputation is second only to the caliber of the product or service you provide. Taking proactive steps to prevent accidents helps prevent harm and helps your business.
Ensuring safety for everyone in your workplace helps to boost morale.
When people go to work, they do not want to be fearful or worry about what might happen during their shifts. They want assurances that their hard work and dedication to your company will earn them a paycheck and the ability to go on with their lives outside of work. It might seem dramatic to consider, but if you and your team are not following safety standards as written under the law, the outcomes might not be what you expect or hope for.
The laws are there for a reason: To keep everyone safe and protected. When your employees understand that you are on their side and doing everything to the letter under the direction of the prevailing laws and standards, they will feel better about what they do. This leads to an increase in job satisfaction and job performance overall. Most people want to feel pride in their work, but that becomes difficult when there are safety barriers to doing the job well. You can prevent that from happening and make your workplace better and safer for everyone.
Furthermore, if you can cultivate an environment in which people feel empowered to speak up if they notice something is out of compliance or they have a concern regarding the handling of chemicals, for example, then you have created psychological safety in your workplace. To learn more about what that means, watch this short video.
A safer work environment will attract top talent and prevent attrition.
When you conduct business under the auspices of the law, people will notice the attention and care you bring to managing your daily operations. Not only will it benefit the people currently in your employ, but it will also shine a light on what you do from the outside in. Employers who actively demonstrate care and concern for their teams’ well-being are preferred amongst job seekers.
If you are looking to recruit top talent, you will have a greater success rate with an excellent safety record behind you. Conversely, if your company is plagued by safety violations and lawsuits from current and former employees, that is a giant red flag for prospective employees. Your open job postings may go unfilled longer than average, and it is possible that you will have to increase wages and benefits just to make your company attractive to those looking for work.
Workplace safety matters. It is essential to keep your business operational. It is also a key component of where your cash flows. When your company operates from a safety standpoint, your employees will be happier in their jobs and feel confident going to work because they know safety is at the core of your business ethos.
