6 Workplace Safety Tips for Employees for 2024
Employers aren’t the only ones who need to be concerned about workplace safety. Even employees should be concerned about workplace safety. While employers are required to provide a safe working environment, employees also have a role to play. When both employers and employees are dedicated to ensuring a safe working environment, it can lead to fewer work-related injuries and illnesses, which, in turn, can result in several benefits for both employers and employees.
Employees can follow several work safety tips to help make their workplaces safer. Below, we discuss six workplace safety tips for employees for 2024.
- Participate in Training
One of the ways you can help make your workplace safer as an employee is by engaging in safety training programs provided by the company. During safety training, you can learn about potential hazards in the workplace and how to avoid these hazards, which can, in turn, reduce the likelihood of work-related injuries and illnesses.
- Wear Personal Protective Equipment
If you are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while on the job, it is crucial to ensure you wear the necessary PPE. Personal protective equipment is specialized clothing or equipment designed to minimize an employee’s exposure to work hazards, such as coveralls, gloves, full-body suits, helmets, hard hats, face shields, masks, respirators, safety glasses, and earplugs. Some employees forget or choose not to wear a specific piece of PPE, as they believe it is unnecessary or they can work without it. Ensure you wear all pieces of personal protective equipment assigned to you.
- Report Unsafe Conditions
If you notice an unsafe working condition, report it to your employer as soon as possible. Reporting unsafe conditions without delay ensures the situation is rectified before anyone suffers harm. Reporting unsafe workplace conditions can help protect you and your co-workers.
You may feel scared that reporting an unsafe working condition will get you into trouble. If this is your concern, you should know that it is against the law for your employer to retaliate against you for reporting unsafe working conditions.
- Maintain a Tidy Workplace
Maintaining a tidy workplace can help prevent slip, trip, and fall accidents. When the workplace is messy or cluttered, it increases the risk of slipping, tripping, and falling. A tidy workplace can also help improve visibility. It can allow workers to see potential hazards more easily, and reduce the possibility of accidents.
- Don’t Be in a Hurry
It is understandable to want to finish your work quickly. However, you should never skip steps to get a job done quickly. Workflows exist for a reason. They are in place to prevent incidents. Therefore, when performing a task, ensure you follow every step.
- Take Breaks
Breaks can help improve workplace ergonomics and health. For example, it is important that, if your job entails sitting for long hours, you take regular stretch breaks. Taking even a few minutes to stretch can help loosen joints, ease muscle tension, and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries such as bursitis.
Legal Help Is Available
If, despite your efforts to stay safe while working, you suffer an injury while on the job, our skilled Vermont workers’ compensation attorney at Sluka Law PLC can help protect your rights. We can help you recover the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve.
