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Three Ways to Ensure That Company Safety and Employee Health Are in Order

Let’s face it: there’s a reason why the best companies in the world focus greatly on their employee health, safety, and happiness. Whether it be because of the fact that a happy employee is a productive one or that safety is highly important and can quickly make or break a business, the need to ensure that company safety standards are in order and employee health is not lacking is vital to any great company.

 

Therefore, as a manager, it is important that you constantly assess these aspects of the business so as to ensure that your company is not only succeeding on a client basis but also on an employee basis likewise. For this, three main parts of the business must be analyzed, which include employee health coverage, transportation safety for business travel, and onsite safety for in-office workers. Once these three parts of the company have been analyzed thoroughly, you can begin the busy holiday season with a more productive and energetic team than ever before and make the most out of the myriad of orders you will be sure to receive.  

 

1. Medical Coverage

 

It’s fairly obvious that an employee that feels respected and cared for will inevitably be more productive. However, it can sometimes be difficult ensuring that your employees stay healthy and happy without actually taking them through the process step by step. For instance, managers in the hospitality industry often run into the issue of cigarette smokers who are fairly set in their ways and not ready to transition into a smoke-free lifestyle.

 

The unfortunate part of this is the fact that smoking not only reduces the time an employee spends fully focused on work but also makes the employee reek of smoke, which can be off-putting to the average restaurant or hotel customer. Therefore, one way that you can ensure your employees are healthy despite nicotine addiction is by encouraging them to vape rather than smoke. In fact, with the rise of vaping across the country, it is obvious that this cigarette alternative is far safer than its counterpart and also smells far better likewise.

 

With this said, vaping, although not the most ideal option, can be a great way to encourage the start of a smoker’s transition to a smoke-free lifestyle and can also ensure that employees are hygienic.

 

Furthermore, another major aspect of medical coverage comes in the form of disability coverage. In a world where anything is truly possible, more and more disabled individuals are acquiring positions that were once perceived to be “too difficult” for them. Despite this outdated way of thinking still being extremely appalling, the ability to give these individuals the opportunities they deserve certainly makes the past seem like nothing more than just that — the past.

 

With this said, the ability to be able to cover these individuals accordingly is extremely important. For instance, with an increasing number of individuals that are hearing and vision impaired joining the workforce, it is highly important that there are options for them regarding hearing aids and prescription glasses. From the start, it is important to ask these individuals if they need  hearing aid warranties, prescription glasses warranties, or even simply need items which can assist them in the office.

 

Lastly, parental leave and medical coverage is vital to the success of any business. After all, the difference between a caring company and simply a company is their ability recognize more than just deadlines and quotas. Family and employee happiness are extremely important, and, as a business, your ability to provide for your employees and their families shows just how caring and forward-thinking you truly are. Therefore, an extended parental leave for both mothers and fathers is highly important. Similarly, installing certain facilities in-office such as a health room and pumping station can also encourage young parents to feel comfortable and cared for when working for your company as well.

 

Once you have taken the time out to work on your employee health benefits as a whole, you can then move on to ensuring they stay safe when traveling or delivering items as well. After all, healthcare is a great way to keep an employee healthy, but, in order to keep them safe, it is important that they have safety standards in place both in and out of the office.

 

2. Transportation Safety Standards

 

When an employee jumps into any kind of company vehicle, there is a tremendous amount of trust and risk that goes into play. Depending on the kind of company you manage, you may have delivery drivers on the road at all times or only have the occasional lunch-grabber in the company car. No matter what kind of transportation is involved in your business travel, it is highly important that your employees, company cars, and other modes of company transportation are insured and safe when being operated.

 

For instance, if your company is a trucking company, it is important that you take this into account, provide the appropriate amount of rest time for employees, and create a respectful schedule for them to abide by that is not too demanding or difficult. By doing this, you can ensure your employees are safe, reduce the risk of sleep-related truck accidents, and also show your clients that your employees mean a lot to you which, in turn, shows a lot about your character and business practices.

 

Similarly, if your company relies heavily on business travel and you use trailers, recreational vehicles, or campers, it’s highly important that you are not only insured but that your vehicle is safe and up to par at all times. After all, the last thing you want is stranded employees and a bill that is less than acceptable to match. Therefore, it is important that you know how to take care of these vehicles and do so every season. For instance, with the summer season upon us, it is crucial that you recognize the de-winterization procedure and complete it before your next trip accordingly.

 

Lastly, if your company works in construction or manufacturing and utilizes lots of heavy-duty machinery, it is important that your employees are adequately trained, have proper certification to use these devices, and recognize that taking risks is unacceptable. Once this is understood and you have ensured that your employees are certified, you can begin to do your work knowing that you are safe regarding transportation, and the risk lies on the employee's’ shoulders rather than your own.

 

However, this is not the only place where safety protocol should be instilled. It is important that you recognize that the same concerns can be found closer than you think and should be addressed quickly and smoothly so as to avoid serious disaster in the future.

 

3. Onsite Safety Precautions

 

Once you have taken the proper actions within your company to ensure transportation safety and employee health, it is important that you focus your attention closer to home and begin to pay attention to onsite safety standards and how they can be improved. For instance, many new companies tend to focus more on the appearance of company offices rather than safety. In fact, many modern offices focus heavily on stairs, lack railing, install slippery flooring, and even sit close to open bodies of water such as pools, lakes, and more.

 

The issue with this is that all of these modern parts of an office are dangerous and, if not taken care of properly, could lead to an injury in little to no time at all. Therefore, many companies tend to create safety standards with which all employees are heavily trained on. Similarly, many companies also add safety precautions to the various unsafe portions of their offices likewise.

 

For starters, not having railing could lead to someone tripping down a flight of stairs or falling into the water around the office fairly easily. That’s why many companies have recognized the importance of safety precautions, such as Fascia mounted cable and glass railing systems. By incorporating railing systems that are strong and reliable, you can ensure that no part of your office is insecure and no flight of stairs is simply asking for someone to make a slight mistake in their footing.

 

Similarly, if your employees work in the hospitality industry and are ever near the hotel pool, it is important that there are safety precautions in the case that an employee falls in and significantly hurts himself doing so. This is why swimming pool safety basics, such as being prepared with first aid kits and rescue equipment, is extremely important. By having this equipment on company grounds at all times, you are ensuring that your employees are safe when cleaning, working, or simply even walking near the pool.

 

Lastly, if your company has floors that are not slip-resistant, you are simply asking for a disaster. However, this does not mean you need to completely rip up your flooring and start over. Instead, you can use things such as a slip-resistant clear sealant on the floors or various slip-resistant rugs to ensure your floors are safe and secure for your clients and employees to use at all time.

 

In the end, safety is truly one of the most important parts of being a manager, and the way that you ensure that your employees are safe and healthy truly determines the kind of company you run. After all, a good company is built on the hard work of its employees, and the more dedicated to the company they are, the better the company becomes.