5. Awareness and Training
Awareness and training is important for the employees to perform their jobs safely.
Employee training is a process that seeks to provide the workforce with the knowledge and skills they need to perform their jobs safely for themselves and their coworkers at the same time increasing the efficiency and performance of the employee. An effective workplace safety plan includes instructions and guidelines for identifying hazards, reporting them, and dealing with incidents.
Employees must be properly trained about workplace safety precautions and how to keep the workplace safe at all times. As an employer, make mandatory safety workshops on various aspects of workplace safety available to all stakeholders in your organization.
Workplace safety training should also focus on familiarizing employees with various workplace hazards and how to identify, report and prevent them. Employees should receive proper training before using any workplace equipment and they should also follow other safety precautions that can help to prevent accidents.
Why is employee training important?
For an employer, it is a lawful (and ethical) duty to train your employees on how to work safely before they begin to work.
Safety training is a crucial component of the employee onboarding process, but it also necessitates "refresher" safety courses regularly to ensure compliance (and effectiveness). Not only does employee alertness decline over time, but safety protocols also evolve to keep up with changes in equipment, materials, and roles within the business.
Well planned safety training programs result in :
- Less productivity loss due to illness or injury
- Higher employee satisfaction
- Reduction in employee compensation for medical leave due to work related injuries and illnesses
- Protection from unnecessary liability lawsuits
- Future incident prevention and low insurance premiums
Awareness about health conditions:
Workers with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to certain types of workplace accidents, such as chemical exposure accidents. Employers must take care to accurately document employees medical histories and conduct medical examinations prior to hiring.
Employers must also provide conducive and safe working environments for employees, as poor working conditions can aggravate pre-existing health conditions. For example, an asthmatic worker may suffer an attack if forced to work in an environment with inadequate ventilation.
Workers with pre-existing medical problems should not face discrimination, despite the fact that this is rarely the case. Pre-existing health conditions frequently affect the remuneration that employees in this demographic may earn.
However, employees with underlying illnesses should notify their employers in order to receive the best care possible while performing various tasks at work. Furthermore, such individuals must insist on additional workplace safety measures.
Measures to protect workers with underlying illness in the workplace:
- Implement flexible working hours for employees who have pre-existing medical conditions.
- Limit such employees' exposure to workplace hazards such as toxic chemicals.
- Take additional safety precautions in the workplace.
- Implement a procedure to track and record any safety complaints made by employees.
Additional Information
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