From an HR perspective, workplace injuries are one of the most catastrophic things that can happen. If an employee gets injured at work, then the liability instantly lands on the company’s shoulders. This puts you in a sticky situation as you have to try and negotiate suitable compensation to avoid a lawsuit – which will inevitably go public and potentially damage your reputation. 

No matter what you try and do, you’ll most likely end up paying a decent amount of money to the injured employee. This could take the form of a compensatory lump sum, or a structured settlement annuity that you pay over time. All of this impacts your insurance. Then, you may have to spend more money paying for a temporary replacement while they recover. All of this can be avoided if you reduce the risk of workplace injuries as much as possible.

This can be done in just a few simple steps:

Invest in safer equipment

The equipment you use can present numerous risks for employees in your company. So, address this by spending money on safer items. This isn’t possible for every item you own, but there are loads of things you can improve with a bit of investment.

If you need a pallet rack in your warehouse, then switch from wood to plastic for a more robust option that won’t break and will be far safer.

For any tools you use, try and select ones that have excellent safety features to prevent injuries. Be prepared to spend more money to make your business safer, it’s well worth the investment. 

Put signs everywhere

You need to have safety signs throughout your company to warn people of any potential hazards. This could be something as simple as a ‘wet floor’ sign if there’s been a spillage. Or, a caution sign by plug sockets warning of electric shocks if they’re still turned on.

Obviously, some businesses will need more signs than others as there are greater risks depending on what work you do. But, with signs in place, you make your employees think twice before doing anything. As such, risks will be minimized. 

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