As a business owner, you already know that the effective management of safety incidents can establish a safe and healthy workplace. The way a business manages, addresses, and investigates incidents can actually improve the overall performance of employees as well as their morale. Usually, in most situations, the term incident includes both “accidents” and “incidents.”
The underlying reason is that in most situations, the accident was caused by factors that could have been prevented by effectively monitoring the incidents.
Here is what businesses can do to manage safety incidents.
Always Be Prepared
Your business needs to have a clear set of definite procedures in place that clearly define how to react when specific incidents happen. You might refer to this aspect as having a contingency plan. Make sure that all employees have a clear understanding of the contingency plan. Also, all of the checklists and reporting templates should be ready so that when an incident happens, the investigation can be conducted as soon as possible.
Make sure that your employees are well-trained—consider enrolling your staff in a first aid course so they can respond effectively in emergencies. Additionally, first aid kits should be kept readily accessible at all times so that injured individuals can receive immediate care.
Use a Workplace Safety Software
Your business should use workplace safety software, such as the ehs software, as it can help you streamline the process of effective incident reporting. The right software comes with the following benefits that your business can leverage:
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Improved communication
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Improved incident reporting
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Compliance with state safety regulations
You get the point: workplace safety software can help businesses establish and promote a strong workplace safety culture. It can also reduce costs linked with accidents while simultaneously increasing employee morale, engagement, and productivity.
Ultimately, the right software will help you establish a safe and efficient work environment.
Always Investigate Immediately
Whenever an accident happens, you must make sure to investigate the incident immediately. As a matter of fact, you should have a proper system in place for conducting an investigation without wasting time. Also, collect evidence and create reports while the incident is still fresh in everyone’s mind. While you are at it, make sure to gather evidence with the help of pictures and videos.
You might want to use a pre-prepared and printed template that you have exclusively designed for incidents. Instant investigation and reporting will make it easier to analyze and report the incident.
Communication is Key
Another thing that your business can do is to enable effective communication. With that said, you should know that clear communication is the lifeline of a safe workplace. If an incident occurs, make sure that the incident is reported to OSHA within that specific period. Simultaneously, if the incident can affect any employee or supervisor, they should be notified, too.
Make sure to inform management of this, too. As a rule of thumb, you should share the incident with everyone in the company to spread awareness and prevent future incidents.
Final Thoughts
It is vital to take the necessary actions based on the incidents and investigation results. You might as well want to fix the potential gaps that can be found through the potential investigations and follow-ups.
