Workplace accidents happen. People are fallible and make mistakes, and unforeseen incidents occur that can end with an injury. For small businesses, the results can be devastating.
When you work for a smaller company, it is important to understand what safety procedures are in place. Comprehensive guidelines are essential to keep accidents to a minimum. There are many things you can look for to ensure your employer has the best safety training available.
Busy at the top
One of the drawbacks that affect many smaller employers is a lack of management. A recent article from Insurance Business America indicates that small businesses are at a disadvantage because many of the leaders hold several roles within the company. Other businesses do not have workers’ compensation claims as often as larger corporations, meaning they have less experience dealing with and learning from past incidents.
It is your employer’s responsibility to ensure you have the proper information to operate in the workplace safely. To combat these scenarios, small businesses must incorporate a “culture of safety” in the workplace. This involves establishing an environment where safety is everyone’s top priority instead of the purview of a few personnel. With this goal in mind, all employees share in the employment of workplace safety.
What you can do
There are things that employees can do to help in building a mindset tuned to safety. First is knowing which company leader handles discussing safety rules and violations. It is much easier if there is a single individual dedicated to this task, and it should not be difficult to identify a safety officer at your place of employment. Also, management should encourage you to report violations and hazards since they may not have regular access to the locations where violations or hazards take place.
Small businesses may not have the experience or manpower to have dedicated safety officers or intensive training. If you have any questions about workers’ compensation claims or issues, contact our offices for a free consultation today!