2015 Safety Resolutions

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The new year is often a time to reflect on the past year – what was done right and what could be done better.  Below is a list of some safety resolutions to kick off safety in your business for 2015.

  1. Near Misses

It’s not legally reportable, as no damage or injury has occurred – but reporting and reviewing near misses can highlight potential problems that can be resolved before it becomes an incident or injury.

  1. Shared Responsibility Culture

Promote a positive safety culture – everyone is responsible for their own and others safety – no one gets persecuted for reporting issues or taking safety seriously.

  1. Hazards

All people have a responsibility to eliminate or reduce hazards in the workplace – encourage your staff to let you know – set a time for regular inspections to identify potential hazards.  Being pro-active in eliminating or reducing hazards means fewer injuries and less downtime.

  1. Communicate

Communication within the business regarding safety is critical – it’s okay to have manuals, policies and procedures – but they are passive – get active and have regular safety meetings and toolbox training sessions – following through on the safety message goes a long way in creating a culture of safety.

  1. Fatigue

All businesses have peak times or busy seasons – but this doesn’t mean you need to put your employees at risk – consider that tired employees are not as productive and fatigue contributes to a 62% increase in on-the-job injuries.  Keep an eye on employees during periods of increased overtime or activity.

  1. PPE

Supply and actively utilise PPE – each dollar spent on PPE saves $4 in productivity losses and health care expenses – make sure employees use and understand how to use PPE correctly.  Most importantly, ensure managers and supervisors are setting the example.

  1. Tag out/Lock out

An essential workplace practice is to tag out or lock out machinery/electrical equipment when it is not working or dangerous or it is being worked on – if this is not done, then people can potentially be seriously injured – set up a procedure and educate your employees.

  1. Fall Protection

Falls are one of the most common workplace injuries – however fall restraints can seriously minimise the risk of injury when used.  Requirements for fall restraints vary by state and industry – however you don’t have to work at excessive heights to fall and seriously injure yourself – assess potential areas of risks in your business – then create a policy and educate employees.