The most common New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight, make more money or give back to the community. And while these aspirations are positive, they rarely succeed. Approximately 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail, bringing on even more remorse and guilt than had you forgone them in the first place.
But, for business owners, resolutions can be manageable and sustainable. Creating a safer, healthier office environment isn’t a lofty ambition – it’s an obligation. Start 2017 off right by building a safe workplace for your employees, customers and patrons to appreciate.
Check Your Floors
It’s easy to forget about floor safety. Yet, considering how often you and your employees encounter the floor, these surfaces require safekeeping the most. In addition to being the leading occupational injury for employees over 55-years-old, falls are the primary cause of missed workdays, according to the National Floor Safety Institute. If you don’t have commercial floor mats placed inside and outside of your entryway, you risk slip-and-fall accidents, injured employees and lost productivity. In addition, commercial entrance mats minimize liability concerns, secure your company’s financial future and provide peace of mind. Consider Premier Entrance Mats, Berber Supreme Entrance Mats or Waterhog Classic Mats to safeguard your office floors for the long-term.
Develop an Action Plan
Should an emergency arise at your workplace, you need to be prepared for the worst. In addition to having hazard materials like working fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, first-aid kits, cleaning materials and caution signs, practice drills with your team to encourage security awareness. Every quarter, rehearse an emergency scenario with your employees for situations of extreme weather, criminal activity or accident procedures. Emergency drills prepare the entire company for precarious circumstances, but also helps establish positive rapport with employees while demonstrating your resolve for a safe workplace.
Promote Feedback
You may think you understand your workers’ concerns, but many are hesitant to voice anxieties to avoid upsetting management. It’s important to create open lines of communication that extend from entry-level interns all the way up to the executive team. The simplest way to learn about your employees’ health and safety concerns is through anonymous surveys. Every six months, send out an unsigned email survey where workers can grade current workplace conditions and suggest areas needing improvement. Encourage open feedback by holding an optional contest where the winner’s safety suggestion grants a gift card. Further, ensure all management positions are well-trained in receiving constructive criticism and addressing employee concerns calmly and rationally. Your Human Resources (HR) department should be ready and willing to handle disputes – big or small – while actively working to boost individuals’ sense of well-being Monday through Friday.
With these three strategies, creating a safe workplace in 2017 is simple. When workplace safety isn’t an integral part of your bottom-line strategy, it’s time to rethink your company values and long-term goals.
