Whether you want to minimize workplace accidents, ensure your team’s job satisfaction, or avoid expensive legal fees, developing and adhering to a few protocols is a great way to achieve your goals.
Workplace safety is hugely important. Yet data shows that it’s commonly overlooked around the world.
According to the latest information from the International Labour Organization, 2.3 million people die because of work-related accidents and diseases per year. Moreover, workers are involved in approximately 340 million occupational accidents annually. These are horrific statistics. And even though your organization may not be a hugely risky place to work, you still want to invest in proper safety training in the workplace.
Here’s why.
Safety Training Prevents Accidents
One of the most significant reasons to invest in high-quality safety training for your workforce is straightforward. It prevents accidents.
When employees understand the safety protocols they must follow (and know why and how those protocols matter), they won’t just avoid hurting themselves. They’ll also set a positive example to their coworkers, encouraging your entire workforce to adhere to the necessary rules of working in a hazardous environment.
This includes (but is not limited to):
- using PPE equipment
- maintaining proper posture
- practicing safe lifting techniques
- taking sufficient breaks
- avoiding outright dangerous practices
Proper Protocols Prevent Absenteeism and Maximize Productivity
In addition to helping you prevent common workplace injuries, investing in safety training for your team also benefits your business.
A study conducted in 2021 discovered that the average number and value of lost work due to workplace injuries was 11 days and $1590. And if your employees work in dangerous conditions or with hazardous materials, these numbers could get even higher.
Fortunately, proper workplace training effectively helps minimize these numbers, maximizing your company’s productivity and preventing unnecessary monetary losses.
Invest in Safety Training to Avoid Unnecessary Legal Costs
If the well-being of your workforce isn’t inspiring enough to invest in proper safety training in the workplace, consider that you are bound by law to ensure the well-being of your employees.
Most countries have laws requiring employers to provide workers with safe working conditions. And this goes beyond training your workforce to avoid workplace accidents. It also extends to providing them with any necessary safety equipment.
If you fail to do so, you’ll have to deal with a loss in profits. Plus, you’ll need to cover any medical expenses for your injured workers. You might even need to compensate them for potential loss of income, which can get pretty expensive rather quickly.
Safety Training Is an Excellent Opportunity to Upskill Your Workforce
Most employers perceive safety training as a cost (and quite an expensive one, to say the least). But there’s good reason to change your mindset about investing in your workforce’s education.
If you think about it, you’ll realize that safety training shouldn’t merely be an item you tick off your to-do list. Instead, view it as a valuable opportunity to expand your employees’ skills and create new possibilities for improving your company’s productivity.
For instance, enrolling your workers in an OSHA HAZWOPER training course is something you want to do if your employees deal with hazardous substances and materials in their workplace. It’s also an excellent way to ensure your team knows how to respond in an emergency. Plus, it could be a way for your company to extend its operations if you work in the service or cleaning industries.
Furthermore, as a business leader, remember that enhancing skills is something most employees want from a job.
According to MIT, career advancement opportunities are some of the best ways to minimize workforce turnover. So, consider whether safety training could be a way to give your employees a better reason to continue working for your organization, contributing their experience and newly learned knowledge to help your brand grow.
Safer Working Conditions Enhance Employee Satisfaction
Last but not least, if you’re thinking about the pros and cons of upping your workplace safety training game, don’t forget that a positive, safe, and well-being-oriented workplace culture isn’t just something you develop to avoid legal fees. But, more importantly, it’s a way to show your employees you genuinely value them as team members.
By doing your best to empower your workers with the knowledge and equipment they require to do a good job (and encouraging them to enjoy what they do), you’ll significantly boost their job satisfaction. Knowing that happy workers lead to higher organizational productivity, it’s an investment worth making.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, a few reasons you should prioritize developing (and maintaining) a corporate culture of safety within your organization.
Whether you want to minimize workplace accidents, ensure your team’s job satisfaction, or avoid expensive legal fees, developing and adhering to a few protocols is a great way to achieve your goals.
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