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How to Identify Hazards at the Workplace

How to Identify Hazards at the Workplace
Every year, thousands of cases of work related accidents injure and claim the lives of workers across the country. Not only this, such accidents also account for hundreds and thousands of compensation claims, costing nearly every business a lot of time and money.

Each year, the figures of work related accidents and fatalities keep rising, and will continue to rise if not staunched. This is where OSHA comes in to play. OSHA has brought about immense changes in workplace safety programs, what with its numerous training sessions that are meant to spread awareness and educate people about the importance of safety at the workplace. OSHA's basic aim is to reduce the number of workplace accidents and fatalities and to do this by enforcing certain safety standards and regulations.

By identifying a hazard at the workplace, and training your employees to identify such hazards, you will not only be complying with OSHA's standards, but you will be promoting a safe and healthy working environment, where your workers would be happy and more productive.

The safer you keep you workplace, the less accidents are likely to occur. Of course, you may have to sacrifice by making a small initial investment in order to adhere to the safety standards. But the long term results are sure to benefit you, by resulting in fewer accidents and thus, fewer compensation claims.

How to Identify Hazards:

  • Start by understanding what a hazard is. Depending on the nature of your business, the types of hazards will vary.
  • Ask around and find out from employees. Your employees are the greatest source of information, since they are the ones who are responsible for carrying out the tasks on a daily basis, and hence, they will be aware of the potential hazards present at the workplace.
  • Check regularly for safety at the job. Assess your workers daily tasks and check whether there are potential hazards at each step of the process. If at all you do come across any risks, inform the staff and ask them to be careful.
  • Examine the types of injuries and illnesses, as well as the severity and regularity of them at the workplace. Create reports and ask your employees.
These are just a few ways to help you identify workplace hazards. Remember, safety is better than the cure. So, ensure that your workplace is safe.

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