5 HR Strategies To Promote Employee Health And Safety Any company's major loss would be the loss of employees when they are not safe and secure during their working hours.
By Kavita Nigam •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
India is among the fastest developing nation in the world and industrialization is at its full swing. While we admire the architectural magnificence, we tend to overlook the labour involved in creating that piece. Employees working in such industries are exposed to life-threatening hazards like working at heights, exposure to chemicals, and exposure to various poisonous gases to name a few. They are not only life threatening, but might also reduce the efficiency while on ground. Any company's major loss would be the loss of employees when they are not safe and secure during their working hours. Managers should fully utilize all the resources to create and maintain health and safety standards for an organization.
Below are the 5 strategies that can be implemented to encourage and sustain employee wellness and safety.
Establish Open Communication
A key component in maintaining the trust of the employees is to encourage open communication on any health or safety related issues. No employee should fear in expressing concern for safety goals in the company. An HR Personnel should hold one-on-one meetings with the employees so that if any employee Is fearing to express safety concerns to the direct managers, will feel more at ease while talking to an HR personnel.
Implement strict safety policy
Those employees, who are not designated to work in a certain high-risk position should be discouraged to enter hazardous zones. By labeling unsafe environments, posting stringent warning signs and mentioning the qualifications required for such jobs on worksites, the candidates will get to know if they are suitable for such roles. For a corporate office that have less physical risks, it is advisable to identify all potential hazards early on such as broken glass or any kind of leaks.
Provide health and safety training
It is a must to provide required safety training programs for all employees who should necessarily include emergency action plan training and how to treat yourself while injured and alone. Make sure the employees are well efficient at the time of crisis by holding fire and emergency drills from time to time.
Encourage employees to be responsible if they fall sick and take leaves without reprimand.
With safety standards in place, a company can identify all the potential risks and keep the employees safe and sound while on the ground.
Coordinate with facility management
Facilities department play an important role in carrying out safety policies for business. By harmonizing Occupational Health and Safety goals in the organization, facilities manager can better protect employees. Encourage them to invest in safety tools and equipments, such as anti-slip safety mats, Eye Protection, Ear Protection, masks etc. These simple yet effective products will cultivate a general sense of wellbeing in the workplace.
Use positive consequences
The fear of discipline which drives under-reporting and stifles involvement must be driven out of culture.
Discipline has a place, but most safety issues can be effectively dealt without discipline, which has side effects that work against building a culture of safety. When discipline is used disproportionately in relation to positive consequences, it leads to lower morale, reduced trust, lower productivity, less teamwork and lack of engagement. It also suppresses reporting incidents which cripples the organization's ability to learn from mistakes and become more proactive.
