June is National Safety Month. How safe is your workspace? How well do you know your company’s safety protocols? Every job, whether you work in an office or on a construction site, has safety risks and precautions to take. After all, safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Here are five practical habits you can incorporate into your workday to keep you and your coworkers safe, no matter where you work.
Safety Tips
If you see something amiss, report it.
If you see unplugged, tangled wires, take action to fix them yourself or talk to someone who can sort them out if you’re not sure whether the wires could cause injury. If you see equipment out of place, and you can safely operate it, move it back to the correct place or find a supervisor who can. Water is pooling on the break room floor or near a busy doorway? Get the yellow caution sign and put it near the puddle before cleaning it up and reporting it to a manager to check for leaks. Slips and falls are common accidents in the workplace and could lead to injuries that leave your team shorthanded as someone recovers. Whatever the potential hazard, use your good judgment to either fix it or report it to make sure no one gets hurt. Don’t wait for someone else to act!
Clean up the clutter.
Papers piling on a desk might not seem like a big deal, but some papers are covered in a waxy coating and if they fall to the floor, that could create a slipping hazard. Cluttered wires or tools can become tripping hazards; someone who isn’t paying attention when walking might get their foot tangled and fall. A messy pile of rags could create a fire hazard. Cleaning up the clutter of your workspace, keeping it tidy and functional, helps to protect yourself and your coworkers from tripping or catching their clothes on uneven surfaces that could result in injuries.
Mind your posture.
Whether you’re sitting at a desk or lifting heavy objects, keeping your posture in mind is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself and your coworkers safe. Bad posture in an office job might not seem important, but if you’re throwing your back out from sitting like a croissant curled over your desk, it might result in needing to take time off work. When you’re lifting heavy objects, bad posture can wreak havoc on your back and knees; if you lose your balance, or develop a cramp, you could fall and injure yourself or someone else. Taking a moment to make sure you’re sitting and standing properly keeps you alert and able to move quickly in an emergency as well.
Stay alert.
It’s important to pay attention to the world around you. If you’re working on a construction site, this means knowing where all the heavy equipment is, where large pieces of metal are being moved and staying out of the way. In a warehouse, that means not standing in front of moving equipment or casually leaning against something that isn’t properly locked into place. In an office, that means watching for small safety threats that could add up to a big problem—it also means being alert to fire hazards or threats from people entering the office that don’t belong there. It’s also important to know, wherever you work, where the first aid kit is and where safety information is posted to act quickly in the event of an emergency.
Take breaks.
This might seem silly and not like a safety tip, but it is! It’s important to stay hydrated and to eat while working to keep yourself healthy. The last thing your coworkers need is for you to faint while working. Low blood sugar can cause issues with concentration and could lead to serious health problems and dehydration can result in hospitalization, especially for those who work outside and sweat a lot in the heat of the summer. It’s important to fuel your body to keep your mind sharp and alert.
“See something, say something” isn’t just good advice for suspicious packages at the airport, bus station, or other public spaces. Safety is important to everyone and we all have a role to play! It just takes a few minutes every day to make sure you’re doing all you can to protect yourself and your coworkers.
Partner with Pirate Staffing
If you’d like more safety tips or to get training on how to be a safety champion, call Pirate Staffing today. We can help you access training courses and certifications to help you add to your resume while keeping yourself safe. If you’d like to specialize in safety, we can help you find a job to get your career started. Whatever you need, Pirate Staffing can help.