World Day for Safety and Health at Work
How to create a safe work culture?
Posted by Temi Adedeji on Apr 28, 2023
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an international campaign dedicated to prevent occupational accidents and diseases. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) there are 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.*
By protecting employees, organisations can reduce absences and ensure that their workplace is more efficient, productive and safe. With this in mind, we look at some key tips on how organisations can create a safe culture in the workplace.
- Always set safety procedures and guidelines for employees.
A health and safety policy sets out your general approach to health and safety. It explains how you, as an employer, will manage health and safety in your business.
- Encourage workers to take breaks when needed to avoid fatigue and reduce risk of injuries.
Consult your employees on how they are feeling in the workplace, if a particular individual appears to be routinely fatigued, it is a good idea to encourage them to take a break.
- Take note of any accidents or near misses immediately and rectify where necessary.
Keeping records of incidents helps you to identify patterns of accidents and injuries, so you can better assess and manage risks in your workplace.
- Ensure regular safety training programmes and stay up to date on new safety procedures and regulations.
Everyone who works for you needs to know how to work safely and without risk to their health. You must give your employees clear instructions and information, as well as adequate training and supervision.
- Keep the work environment clean and free from obstacles which may cause accidents.
Identify what could cause injury or illness in your organisation. Decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed. Take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn't possible, control the risk.
Safety at work is essential for the protection of employees. KCS Procurement Services can support safe working environments through a number of our frameworks including Total Facilities Management and Cleaning Services.