Accidents happen. They are a part of life.
But even a relatively minor workplace accident can cause a world of problems for your business if it isn’t handled properly.
You may have forgotten about the accident several weeks later when a letter from an attorney or a civil complaint arrives on your desk.
Protecting your workers, your customers, and your property is important. But equally important is protecting your business from the nightmare of litigation that can result from even the smallest workplace accident.
Before an Accident Happens
The best way to handle workplace accidents is to prevent them from happening in the first place.
Try to identify potential hazards in your workplace and then remove these hazards before they can cause injury to a person or damage to property. While this is easier said than done, if you can prove in court that you have performed “due diligence” in making your workplace as safe as possible, it can be used in your defense.
Most workplace accidents are “slip and fall” accidents. Common causes include oily or wet surfaces, spills, weather hazards, or loose rugs or mats. Look for these potential hazards first because they are the easiest to correct.
Schedule routine walk-throughs of your business to look for hazards like these, as well as cracking or uneven floors, obstacles, file drawers left open, and other potential dangers. If your flooring is inherently slippery, consider coating it with non-skid materials.
Employee Responsibilities
The business owner doesn’t have to bear the full burden of eliminating workplace risks. Employees also should be held to the highest safety standards.
Require workers to wear non-slip footwear to help prevent slip and fall accidents. Hold regular safety meetings in which ways to improve workplace safety are shared and discussed.
Create a culture of safety in which workers are trained to clean up spills immediately, clearly mark all wet floors or other high-risk areas, and sweep and mop up debris regularly.
Keep a Record of Your Safety Actions
If your business is sued, you need to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you took every action possible to avoid unnecessary accidents. So before an accident happens, it’s important to keep detailed records of everything you do to promote workplace safety, including keeping routine inspection checklists on file, requiring employees to read and sign off on safety requirements, and documenting violations of work rules related to safety.
To fully prevent workplace accidents, it’s necessary to get buy-in from everybody within your organization.