Employee safety is something that we often find easy to overlook or take for granted — until someone gets hurt on the job. While accidents aren’t always avoidable, we need to take every possible step to reduce the chances that someone might get injured or killed while on the clock. What can you do to improve employee safety and protect your team, no matter what the circumstances are?

Create a Culture of Safety

Safety is more than just rule books and onboarding training. It’s something you should engrain in every aspect of your business. That’s why creating a culture of safety is so important. Figure out your goals, and use them to create a safer workplace. It should be everyone’s responsibility, from the newest hire all the way up to the CEO. Getting everyone involved makes it easier to maintain accountability and ensure that everyone follows protocols and doing their part to keep the team safe.

Inspect Your Workplace

A lot of simple things are overlooked and can negatively impact workplace safety. 22% of slip-and-fall accidents result in more than a month of missed work, but the majority of them could be prevented with a simple inspection. It doesn’t take much to spot garbage, dirt or water on the floor that could result in a potentially dangerous fall. Inspect your facility regularly and see what you can change to improve employee safety.

Keep Protective Equipment on Hand

The necessary personal protective equipment will vary dramatically from company to company, depending on your individual needs. In some cases, masks and gloves might be sufficient, while in others, full HAZMAT gear is required. There point here is to ensure it’s always available and well-maintained for anyone that needs it.

This is especially important for companies still operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks, face shields, and soap or sanitizer are all invaluable tools for combating this pandemic. If your doors are open, make sure your team has everything it needs to stay safe and healthy.

Maintain Accountability

Turning safety into a responsibility that everyone shares is only part of the puzzle. Accountability is another piece and one that you can’t afford to overlook. If someone makes a mistake, which does happen from time to time, make sure they’re held accountable. Reinforce your rules with consequences if they’re not followed. They don’t have to be extreme — sometimes something as simple as taking an additional safety class can make a difference — but they need to be consistent. Keep everyone accountable, regardless of their position or salary.

Reinforce Communication

Keep your doors open and ensure you’ve got good communication within your company. This gives you the tools to inform your team about new rules, safety hazards, guidelines and OSHA regulations, just to name a few examples. Make sure that it goes both ways — your team might see safety issues that you’d otherwise miss because they’re on the front lines. Keep those lines of communication open, and don’t punish your employees for bringing problems to your attention.

Make Worker Safety a Priority

Workplace safety is essential to keep things running smoothly and prevent injuries or fatalities on the job. You don’t need to make dramatic changes to keep your team safe. Just make sure you’re paying attention, inspecting your facility and keeping your lines of communication open.

You might need to make some changes moving forward to deal with the coronavirus pandemic’s aftermath, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle. Always keep the big picture in mind and make employee safety a priority. After all, where would you be without your workers?