Every employee deserves to not only feel safe, but be safe on the job. This is important no matter what work you do. After all, even relatively safe environments, such as an office space, require essential fire safety protocols in place, and if possible, ergonomic furniture so that sitting down eight hours a day won’t cause health issues in the long run.
To the degree that we can, making sure that our health is protected at work involves reading through these policies, ensuring that you’re given the provisions you expect and that have been laid out, and yes, sometimes even kicking up a fuss when you’re not given the most essential baseline safety provisions.
Protecting yourself at work is something that even we, as salaried employees, hae to take seriously. We cannot expect that it will be managed by the relevant department without also confirming that this process is right for us. In this post, then, we hope to discuss how to protect yourself at work in the best way, and in the long run, how to take concrete steps towards making that a sustainable reality:
Hearing Protection Is Key
If you’re exposed to a range of loud volumes over the course of a shift, it can damage your hearing in the long run. Demanding or wearing hearing protection alongside these hearing protection tips is key depending on how these provisions are considered and if they’re provided at all. This might include ear defenders or plugs, and in some cases, may take the shape of a white noise machine. For some, it might just mean asking to be seated further away from the loudly humming air conditioning machine. A competent balance is required here.
Essential Messaging
It’s very important to make sure that safety messages are loud and clear, and that signposts are placed where safety protocols need to be applied. For instance, proper signage warning of the need for safety equipment past a certain point, and what to do with it/how to store it after use is essential. If your workplace suffers from a lack of messaging in this way, then lobbying to have this created and implemented is essential – even if that simply means outlining where the ‘STOP’ button is next to a piece of machinery.
Understanding Backup Protocols
To the degree that they can be applied, ensuring you have backup protocols in place to protect you is essential. For instance, a breaker switch that prevents electrical supplies can potentially help someone survive exposure to such danger, while ensuring you know how to report issues such as injuries, machine failure, fire, and other dangerous elements is key. It might be that making sure that safety equipment is replaced no matter what after an accident can help certain goods, like hard hats, still supply strength after the prior model prevented an injury. A common balance like that can make a tremendous difference.
With this advice, we believe that you’ll be able to protect yourself at work, be you in a place to suggest, report or enact changes.
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