Like any type of personal injury, a workplace injury can happen at any time. These are some of the most common.
- Contact with equipment
- Falls and trips
- Overexertion
- Transportation accidents
Knowing this, employers need to take extra precautions to make sure that their employees are well taken care of. A key step in reducing workplace injuries is creating a hazard-free work environment. While accidents are unavoidable, here are some steps you can take to make sure that you are creating a safe working environment for your employees.
1. Incorporate exoskeleton bionics.
When most work injuries occur, they tend to affect the shoulder. Further to this, they tend to take longer to heal and are more expensive to treat when compared to other workplace injuries. Workplace injuries affect the wellness of your employees as well as the company’s productivity, and to counter this, consider incorporating robotic assist devices into your workforce.
Exoskeletons are an example of wearable robotic technology that supports workers in their jobs, providing postural support that can follow the movements of the arms without misalignment or resistance. This, in turn, can generate a 30 percent reduction in stress on the shoulder muscles. Ekso Bionics is a pioneer in wearable exoskeleton technology and their robotic assist devices are designed to help reduce worker fatigue. In 2011, Ford Motor Company incorporated exosuits into their manufacturing process and reported an 83 percent decrease in work injuries to the departments where the exosuits were used.
Using wearable exoskeletons can help minimize the number of work injuries and can be useful to employees who work in the agriculture, automotive, or construction industry.
2. Use construction shrink wrap.
If you find yourself asking: what is shrink wrap and how can it protect your business, we have an easy answer. Shrink wrap is a plastic film that’s used to wrap objects. It is commonly made from polyolefin, polypropylene, polyethylene, and PVC. When heat is applied to it (usually with a handheld heat gun), the shrink wrap material shrinks. As it shrinks, it wraps itself around the object you intend to package or protect and seals itself. In the industrial setting, shrink wrap made from polypropylene and polyethylene is mostly used due to its durability. For retail shrink wrap, like the one used in the packaging industry, for instance, polyolefin and PVC based shrink wrap is most preferred.
In the construction industry, shrink wrap is used to enclose work areas that emit hazardous fumes and other air contaminants. Construction sites that involve sandblasting or stone grinding end up producing large amounts of dust and debris that can be harmful to the worker’s respiratory health. Using shrink wrap to protect against hazardous areas is a great way to ensure that your workers are protected.
3. Conduct emergency fire drills.
Safety drills are a great way to make sure that your employees have hands-on knowledge of what to do in case of an emergency. Your employees should know how to respond calmly and quickly, and a safety drill can help you do this. Common safety drills include fire safety drills where employees practice moving to the fire exits quickly. All employees should be involved in the drill, management included. After the drill, ask your employees if they found the training helpful/informative and what else they would like to see included in future training.
4. Ergonomic Support Furniture
Make sure that your employees are using ergonomic support seats and that they’re fitted to support their height. Most work injuries occur as a result of straining one’s neck and shoulders, especially when marinating poor posture. To avoid this, make sure that your seats and desks are comfortable, and fitted to accommodate individual employees.
Workplace injuries can occur at any time. They may be difficult to avoid, but staying prepared by having safety measures in place is a great way to make sure that your employees are safe.
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