Every day, millions of employees head to their workplaces, ensuring the world keeps running smoothly. However, no matter what kind of workplace they are acquainted with, they get exposed to several risks and hazards.
Keeping the employees safe and sound is the responsibility of every employer. For that, it is important that you enhance the safety of your workplace by taking all preventive measures. Preventive measures like safety critical medical before hiring is not just mandatory per the law but also an ethical thing to do.
If you are still struggling with where to start from then this article is your best guide. Here are mentioned the most common workplace hazards and measures you may take to prevent the risks.
Physical Hazards
Physical hazards are one of the top reasons of injuries and fatalities in workplaces, especially in construction sites or manufacturing houses. Some of the major reasons for such accidents become slippery floors, cluttered sides, and uneven grounds. If anyone slips, trips, or falls due to these physical hazards, it may lead to serious injuries like fractures or brain trauma. Besides, these injuries may also be caused due to falling equipment, tools, or construction materials. Not just that, but extreme temperatures and loud noises may also physically harm your employees with heat strokes, exhaustion, or hearing loss.
Prevention
Physical hazards can easily be prevented if you implement strict cleaning protocols in your workplace. Your site must be free of any cluttered objects that may harm anyone. Install non-slip mats, keep non-slip footwear, and also provide your employees with PPE or Personal Protective Equipment like earplugs, gloves, or hats for construction sites.
Ergonomic Hazards
Ergonomic hazards are among those hazards that are often neglected by the employers. Such hazards can cause physical health problems. These risks are caused by improper desks which may lead employees to sit with uncomfortable postures, ending up in a physical strain or injury. Moreover, poor light and heavy lifting are few other reasons that causes ergonomic hazards as they may cause headaches, eye strains, and other musculoskeletal injuries.
Prevention
You may avoid ergonomic hazards for the safety of your employees by hiring professionals to aptly design their workstations per their comfort. Besides, offer your employees training on proper lifting techniques of equipment, especially heavy objects. They must know how to lift with aids, like carts. Besides, when the use of computer screens has become a norm, then provide your employees with anti-glare screens and make sure the lighting is adjustable. Finally, make sure that your employees are taking breaks and not exhausting themselves.
Biological Hazards
Biological hazards carry another crucial risk to your employee’s health. Such hazards are caused by exposure to mosquitoes, bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Such microscopic living organisms may cause life-threatening diseases, emerging from simple infections, respirators issues, or skin irritation. Employees working in laboratories, hospitals, or animal clinics are often most at risk to the biological hazards. These workplaces might be caused by blood-borne pathogens, molds, or animal wastes.
Prevention
Ensuring that your employees work with personal protective equipment (PPE) may help you prevent many risks or biological hazards. Furthermore, biological wastes in laboratories or research centers must be handled and disposed with great precautions. The world has been the impact of COVID-19. So, make sure your employees don’t get exposed to any infection or diseases due to their exposure with biological hazards.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, these are not the only hazards your employees may get exposed to. There are also chemical hazards. Exposure to toxic substances, cleaning chemicals, and pesticides is a greater risks for employees, especially for janitors or farmers. Hence, another duty comes for the employers to make sure that your employees are fully covered and wear gloves while doing their job.
Psychosocial hazards is another big category of dangers that any workplace may carry. This hazard may lead to depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues of your employees as they are related to toxic work environment or bullying. Of course, no one can stop accidents or fatalities when time comes it is always the duty of employers to take care of their employees by providing them complete safety. Be it by preventing physical hazards or offering the safest and non-toxic environment for your employees.
