How employees can help increase workplace safety standards during safety awareness month

In June of every year, most work locations dedicate the month to safety awareness. Indeed, it is a perfect opportunity for businesses to consider the importance of workplace safety and the plight of workers. The reality is that many workers are subjected to work-related injuries every year, 1.2 million employees to be exact. Therefore, more needs to be done to promote workplace safety and to minimise accidents in the workplace.

The good news is that with the high prevalence of injuries, compensation lawyers are always ready to ensure that injured workers receive the compensation they truly deserve. In addition to employers providing a safer working environment for their employees, employees themselves can also play an active role in promoting workplace safety.

This month, here are a few steps you can take to ensure that you're safer while at work.

Pay attention to your working environment

The most important step for workers is to evaluate their working environment in order to identify potential risks. Being injured at work can be incredibly inconveniencing for you and your loved ones.

Take some time to assess your workstation, the safety of the tools that you use, and the environment in which you have to spend time. In most cases, you're in an even better position than management to identify risks in the workplace.

Find out channels within the company for reporting unsafe work conditions

Employees should also be aware of how they can communicate unsafe working environments to management. Most companies have a procedure for submitting such suggestions and/or complaints. It could be via submitting a form to the Human Resource Office or scheduling an appointment with the workplace safety officer within the company.

Whatever the specific process is, make sure you know about it and submit any necessary complaints if you're at risk.

Remember that floors should be safe to walk on

Slips and falls are perhaps the most common workplace injury, accounting for 15% of all accidental workplace deaths. If your workplace has slippery floors, it is important to make suggestions for improvement. For example, such areas should be carpeted to make them easier to walk on. High traffic areas should also be equipped with more grip on the floors.

Make sure there is a first aid kit on site

Regardless of how safe your working environment is, you may still obtain bruises and minor injuries from time to time. Having a medicine cabinet handy (stocked with bandages, gauzes, and disinfectants) can ensure that your minor wounds are properly treated before they get worse.

To add to these steps, employees should also ensure that they have a highly qualified compensation lawyer on their side so they can receive the benefits they deserve when injured.

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