How To Preventing Accidents At Work – Personal Injury Prevention

Sadly accidents do happen within the workplace, despite stringent health and safety regulations that have been outlined by the employer. Statistics state that a new employee is more than likely to have an accident within the first six months of their employment compared to the duration of their working life. The number one reason attributed to this is the lack of understanding about any potential hazards that may exist.

Adequately training staff will help to protect them against any potential danger, this should always be part of an employee programme when someone new joins the team. Instilling prevention from day one will protect any claims that could be made against an employer at a later date. If all members of staff were given a booklet to keep, read and digest that covered all Health and safety aspects in the workplace then this would show that prevention and safety are key to the management strategy of the company. It shows staff and inspectors that safety presides and reflects a powerful and professional statement to everyone.

Although training is key, it needs to be engaging to ensure that all knowledge obtained will be retained. Safety should be embraced as part of the culture and ethics of the company right from the start. A total of 77,593 accidents were reported in the UK for the year ending 31st March 2014, this included 133 fatalities. That’s nearly 300 accidents for every working day and one fatal accident every two days.  So encourage all team members to communicate and work together on all health and safety matters. This will ensure a safer environment and keep it working to the strict requirements of the law.

Here are some top tips to consider when creating a manual for Health and Safety training. Make every statement a powerful message about accident prevention with detailed instructions, this will ensure that certain legal requirements are upheld as an employer. Cutting corners on safety will only put you and your colleagues at risk.

There are many things that you are required to cover but the key points are below:

• How to use machinery properly.
• Protective clothing and how to wear it.
• Using a ladder safely.
• Safe methods of working with electricity.
• Important rules that relate to any hazardous material.
• Fire prevention and firefighting tips.
• How to manage tiredness if you are a shift worker.
• What to do if something does go wrong.

Paul Smith, the editor of the Health and Safety Advisor, was formerly a HSE Inspector. He believes that the common thread in all injuries is down to the fact that employees have not been trained properly.  An inspector will visit factories, sites and other places of work to investigate injuries that have occurred through potential negligence in the work environment. Year after year many businesses are fined, often, crippling amounts of money due to accidents at work. If you are an employee involved in a law suit or looking at getting help with a legal issue then working with the right solicitor is essential.

Harry price is a freelance writer from the south coast.  In his spare time, he loves to travel and explore hidden and undiscovered places.  He uses his experiences as inspiration for his writing.