Workplace safety is an important part of keeping employees healthy. As a new employee, it’s your employer’s job to make sure you understand the best ways to stay safe in the workplace, whether that is through training you to work with machinery or tools or by providing you with informational pamphlets on acceptable behavior in the office.
No accident can be avoided all of the time, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work to prevent incidents at work. According to the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, around 4,585 people were killed in 2013 due to work-related accidents. That doesn’t even begin to factor in the number of people who suffered debilitating injuries.
So what can you do to help prevent accidents? First, keep yourself safe. Don’t be afraid to mention a hazard or issue that is making it more dangerous for you to be in the workplace. If your employer has you working with machinery or vehicles, make sure those items are maintained. Check for maintenance records, and recommend maintenance if it’s been several months or years since the last check. Usually, it’s a good idea to do visual maintenance each time you use a tool, vehicle or piece of machinery.
Finally, your employer should always have proper signage posted around the workplace. It should have information on what to do if you’re exposed to hazards and the steps to take if you need to file a workers’ compensation claim after an injury.
Your attorney can help you if you are struggling to file a claim or if your employer doesn’t have workers’ compensation insurance. You have the right to compensation for your injuries.
Source: Business.com, “Workplace Accidents: How to Avoid Them and What to Do When They Happen,” Simon Brisk, accessed March 03, 2017
