The world today is full of challenges. Some threats can be serious, others less so. But one challenge that continues to grow in businesses is the risk of occupational injury or illness present in many forms of manual labor. This includes jobs like construction, manufacturing, hospitals, and many other places where physical work is needed.

Here are things to do to ensure the safety of yourself and your employees, especially those that are involved in manual labor.

Inspect Your Workplace

If you are an owner or manager of a business that requires manual labor from its employees, you must ensure they are working in a safe environment. 

This doesn’t just apply to construction worksites but also to factories, shipyards, warehouses, and even retail businesses like restaurants and fast-food joints. If you don’t do this, not only could you get injured, you also might face a wrongful death lawsuit.

Train Your Employees

Training your employees on proper workplace health and safety practices is critical when you run a business with higher risks of injury. Start by having an open and honest conversation with your employees and give them the real reasons you’re training them. Then, take whatever measures are necessary to have those employees trained on proper health and safety protocol.

Create a Plan for Safe Manual Handling

The health and safety of your employees are your responsibility. But there is nothing to prevent your business from suffering a workplace accident caused by your negligence. That’s why you should always have a guide to safe manual handling in the workplace that your employees can follow. 

Investigate Accidents

Have you ever wondered how many work-related injuries are suffered in Britain each year? If so, you should investigate this very seriously. Many businesses fail to properly investigate accidents that occur on their premises. This is very dangerous because it can lead to huge liabilities.

Put up Health and Safety Posters

Health and safety posters (HSPs) are an important part of any business owner’s health and safety toolkit. Put up posters in factories, construction sites, restaurants, retail stores and anywhere else where manual labor is required to remind employees of the various health and safety regulations they must comply with. 

This will ensure you have a very low injury rate. It also makes your business look like it cares about its workers.

Conclusion

Safety should not be an afterthought; it is just as essential as customer service, inventory management, and financial planning for a successful company. 

It is smart business to prioritize health and safety since it’s the only way to safeguard your most valuable asset: your employees. Use the tips in this article well, put them into practice sooner rather than later, and you’re business – and your employees – will thank you.