MA Safety Training: How to Maintain a Safe Workplace

Safety within the workplace should be a top priority for your company, no matter what type of business you own or run. Workplace accidents could be physically and emotionally damaging to your workers and their families, not to mention they can cost you significant money and time. You could potentially be held liable for substantial penalties that could wipe out your business’s cash flow.

Maintaining basic workplace safety includes making sure your building or area of work adheres to handicap accessible laws, installing adequate lighting by all entrances and parking lots, and keeping walkways at your building’s entrance are free of debris such as snow, ice, or foliage.

Here are a few more basic ways to maintain a safe workplace:

• Write a fire safety plan and draw a map showing escape routes
• Remove flammable trash on a daily basis.
• Keep equipment rooms, mechanical rooms, and electrical rooms free of paper, wood, or rags.
• Store items on shelves at least 2 feet below the ceiling to allow firefighter access.
• Keep all exit doors unlocked and free of obstructions or debris.
• Check all electrical cords on appliances and machinery for damage.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in a visible location.
• Use power strips with circuit breakers instead of extension cords if an appliance is permanently plugged into a socket.
• Require employees to wear protective equipment necessary to do their jobs safely.
• If your employees need to handle hazardous materials, require them to read Material Safety Data Sheets for any chemicals being used, even if it is for cleaning purposes.

Safety training, or loss control, can help you look at your company’s safety risks beyond the above mentioned factors. For example, one of Sinclair’s training programs is OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) training for supervisors. All employers, whether they have one employee or 1,000, are subject to federal OSHA requirements. Under OSHA, you have a general duty to maintain a safe workplace for your employees, which covers all situations for which there are published standards.

Loss control is an integral part of what we do at Sinclair Risk & Financial Management. We have established a number of training programs, including establishing the Sinclair Institute of Training, to help our clients — whether in construction, the energy industry, food sector, health care, technology and many others — improve their safety record and control losses. Contact us today at 877.602.2305 for more information.