Comprehensive Guidelines to Ensure Employee Health and Safety

The decision to include health and safety in the fundamental principles and rights at work at the 110th session of the International Labour Organization in May 2022 worked as groundbreaking in fostering sustainability and vitality in the workplace. Working from the ease of office, sitting at a desk, one might wonder what the need for this. Not all jobs are safe and easygoing. Every workplace comes with challenges and risks that vary depending on the nature of the job and industry you are dealing with. The factories, construction sites, freight carriers, and other places have a high risk of injuries and deaths. According to the World Health Organization, “Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.”

So, when workplaces start facing issues where an employee lags or productivity is hindered due to safety concerns, it becomes essential to cater to this issue. Organizations like the International Labour Organization, and World Health Organization (WHO), and compliances like the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and ISO 45001 pave the way for organizations to create a safer work environment and proactively manage health and safety at any cost.

This blog takes an in-depth insight into fostering safety with compliance, how you can do it in your organization, the best practices, and are best options available to establish employee health and safety.

Deciphering the Regulations on Employee Health and Safety

Employee health and safety are some of the critically set frameworks that not only provide a plan or course of action but also make it a legal obligation for businesses. ISO 45001 is an international standard set by the International Organization of Standardization for ensuring occupational health and safety. They may vary according to the country or region, but core concepts and regulations remain the same. It elaborates on workplace conditions, equipment safety, and emergency preparation while dealing with hazardous materials or situations.

It is mandatory for organizations to follow this regulation as violations might result in lawsuits, fines, or penalties that damage the reputation of the organization. Also, it gives the employees confidence that they are working in a secure environment which ultimately increases their productivity.

To make it easy for you to understand, we have jotted down some essential guidelines for you to implement in your organization to improve vitality with a more compliant and productive workplace. Let us explore it.

Assessing and Identifying the Potential Risks

The first and foremost step is realizing the potential risks lurking around you at work. It requires a detailed assessment of workflow, equipment, and operations that are carried out to understand what risk factors are associated with different roles and duties. This risk can be of different types.

For industrialists, roadside duties, construction sites, and other similar work, the potential risk can occur from the machinery you are using and the intensity of sound you are dealing with. The second type of hazard is chemical hazards which are common in the manufacturing industry. The toxicity, the high or extremely low pH, the substance effects, or poisonous fumes that are involved in the process might be reasons for the ultimate corroding health.

The risk is not always from machines, equipment, or materials. Sometimes, one might come across ergonomic or psychological hazards that are caused by workplace environment, stress, workstation design, the level of mobility, or other psychologically impacting factors.

Once you have checked the list for different categories of risks, it is time to take action.

Fostering Resilience with Protected Work Environment

Once identified, the next step is mitigation of risks so that the goal of a hazard-free and secure workplace can be achieved. Now, this does not happen with decision-makers only. It requires all stakeholders across all hierarchies to play their rightful role in the implementation process.

Starting from the core body, the leaders of the house are responsible for driving a safety culture and involving employees in this process. People working on different roles and systems are in a position to give a better picture of loopholes in the process, report any potential hazards, and play their role in safety protocols. This factor can be inculcated if the employees are given a choice to openly communicate, provide feedback, and report the issues without hesitation and go through long processes.

Introducing Safety Programs and Trainings

When they say precaution is better than cure, there is no second opinion. Dealing with risks and preparing for the hazards beforehand can help to get over any unavoidable circumstances. Training and safety programs for employees are significantly effective in fostering this environment. The training can be held off and on as required or as any new changes are made in the equipment or processes to get them prepared to deal safely. It might start with onboarding which will include modules that cover the process and precautions. Followed by specific hazard training which will be a role-specific module allowing you to administer tailored training to employees depending on the type of work and environment they are dealing with. Preparing employees for any emergency should also be part of your protocols so that if encounter any situation like this, they can act accordingly and minimize the extent of risks and destruction. Using mobile applications, e-learning, or 3D stimulation can be very effective.

Ensuring Usage of Protective Gears and Equipment

Based on the nature of the job, there are already preventive measures that can help you work safely, which include gears, equipment, and other hands-on material. Unfortunately, the employees omit using it and neither do managers ensure the usage of these things. Using a helmet, gloves, masks, and other equipment can lower the risk.

Also, including safety infrastructure can make your workplace more sound and secure. It includes adding emergency exits, first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, and alarms, and at the same time it must be ensured that everything is maintained and inspected regularly to avoid any inconvenience.

Cultivating High-Impact Protocols with Dynamics Solution and Technology

Strategic interventions to boost workplace safety have become an essential part of an organization. In this digitally transforming landscape, tailored solutions are developed by leveraging automation and intelligence to streamline all your operations regarding risk assessment and mitigation.

Dynamics Solution and Technology as Gold and Solution Partner of Microsoft, tailor solutions according to your business needs. DS EHS (Employee Health and Safety Solution) is a cutting-edge solution that offers you features that cater to the safety, productivity, and overall well-being of the employees while ensuring sustainability and social responsibility.

Book your demo or have a one-on-one conversation with our experts here to get more insight into how DS EHS can make your workplace hazard-free with no compromise on the safety and health of employees.