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At the Whitten Law Firm, our attorneys and professional staff are dedicated to getting our clients results. With over 40 years experience, we are confident that when it comes to Workers' Compensation, we're the solution.

Workplace Accident Prevention

Many of us spend more time at work than at home. Just like at home, accidents can occur at work. It is primarily the employers’ responsibility to ensure that there is workplace accident prevention processes are set in place. It is also important that the employee pays attention to what they are doing and the changes in their environment.

In general, it is every person’s responsibility to ensure that accidents do not happen. We get busy and there are distractions which cause us to not think through certain steps and mishaps can occur. Maintenance on equipment, tools and buildings is a necessary process that should be done on a regular basis. Not only will maintenance protect a company’s assets, this will cause a lower chance of injuries.

Many office jobs won’t have injuries due to malfunction of machinery and employee’s working in a clean room working with hazardous materials probably won’t incur a paper cut. This doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t happen, but chances are that they won’t. Depending upon the tasks that are required for a particular job will determine the percentage of risks that are involved. The higher the risk the more workplace accident prevention must be set into place.

The United States government has a very large safety division in which its only job is to set standards on safety. This division is called the Occupational Safety & Health Administration or OSHA which is the more common name most of us have heard. OSHA is also the department that provides safety information and offers as well as provides training to employers on workplace accident prevention.

The standards that OSHA sets are to be used by employers and applied towards their assets. If an employer does not follow OSHA standards, the employer can possibly be heavily fined. The employer must provide safety information to its employees and advise its employees what safety precautions have been set and it is the employee’s responsibility to notify management of a potential injury situation.

Following OSHA standards, implementing both federal and local safety laws into the workplace, using teamwork and clear communication all work together in the process of workplace accident prevention. The employer can contact OSHA or visit their website (www.osha.gov) for more information on current safety regulations and what the employer can do to increase the injury awareness in their employees and decrease the number of injuries that can possibly occur.

As previously discussed, maintenance is an important part of preventing injuries. There are also less time consuming prevention processes that employers should follow. Posting emergency exit signs and what the exit routes are at strategic points, checking fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, ensuring emergency back-up systems are in working order, walk-ways or thorough ways are clear, having unannounced emergency drills, providing updated safety information are all excellent workplace accident prevention processes and steps that can be done.

Many employees must multi-task on a regular basis throughout their day. Taking a little extra time to pay attention to one’s surroundings while working not only for self-protection but for the protection of others is a simple way to instill proper workplace accident prevention practices. More safety information can be obtained from a supervisor, manager or at the OSHA website.