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Improving Workplace Safety in Modesto

It doesn’t take many injuries to put your workplace in peril – even serious peril. According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 4,600 American workers are killed on the job each year. Among the top injuries sustained are falls, ladder and forklift incidents, machinery accidents, hazardous energy occurrences and respiratory issues.

Production is important. Quality is key. Customer satisfaction is paramount. But none of these are achievable – and nothing is more critical to the future of your business – than the safety of your workforce. You need to do whatever it takes to send every employee home the same way they came into work: safe, healthy and injury free.

Start improving workplace safety in Modesto, California. Follow these tips to minimize the risk of employee injury while hitting production tickets and without adding prohibitive cost:

Hire Smarter

Hiring someone quickly because customer demand is high doesn’t mean you should compromise quality – or safety.

  • Hire competent workers and they will reward you with fewer on-the-job accidents. Consider any potential risk that may be involved with hiring a candidate. Is there a likelihood of their becoming injured? Carefully screen applicants to ensure they have the skills and experience to work safety and successfully.

Enforce Safety Regulations – With No Exceptions

Your credo must be: It is never, ever acceptable to work unsafely. Then, practice what you preach.

  • Engage every employee in a company-wide commitment to safety. This may mean sacrificing “making the numbers” in order to ensure safety training and practice.
  • It starts at the top. A strong, continual demand for and support of safe work practices coming from senior leadership will be the difference between success and failure. If you, as the boss, enforce all safety rules and regulations, without exception, then your entire team will stand behind you.

Provide the Right Tools and Equipment

You cannot expect your employees to take necessary safety precautions without providing them the needed tools and equipment. The cost of steel-toed shoes and safety glasses is miniscule compared to the price of a traumatic injury.

  • Don’t allow workers to risk using the wrong tool or to take short cuts for the sake of production expediency. Keep up with preventive maintenance. This not only enhances efficiency and productivity, but also helps ensure safety by not putting operators at risk with malfunctioning machines.

Practice Good Housekeeping

Keep your workplace clean and uncluttered, and be sure every team member understands and supports the value of the 5S approach:

  • Sort
  • Set in order.
  • Shine
  • Standardize
  • Sustain

It all comes back to basics. Keep stairways, exits, workspaces and the facility in general clean and free of unnecessary debris. Find a place for everything and put everything in its place. It’s not rocket science, but it does take a few moments of thought and consideration. And the results can be life-saving; for instance, if that oil-coated rag properly disposed of prevents a fatal, facility-closing fire.

Recognize and Reward Safety

Praise and reward team members who offer viable suggestions for working safely. Be careful not to provide rewards simply for achieving zero injuries. This could essentially mean rewarding zero reporting, which may actually increase the number of incidents.

The HR and workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto can help you strategize, develop and implement the most effective safety program for your facility, while at the same time achieving your ongoing production and business objectives. Contact us today for more information.

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