One of the key tips we always offer new business owners is that they should watch out for legal problems. In particular, you need to make sure that you and your business do not get involved in an accidental injury dispute. You might be surprised just how much an incident like this could cost your company. Top accidental injury lawyers are often able to get their client’s settlements worth upwards of five hundred thousand. We’re sure you’ll agree that’s the type of cost that you don’t want to have a handle. Well, if you’re careful and take this advice, you won’t need to. Let’s look at some of the ways you can make your business safer and completely dodge a lawsuit.
Alter The Work Environment
It’s true to say that most accidents in the workplace are due to human error. Although this may not seem like a good thing, it is because it means that they can be prevented. You just need to think carefully about how to make your work environment safe. In an office, there are some easy changes you can make. For instance, you might have wires running across the floor in the office. This is a tripping hazard and eventually it will cause an accident. You should make sure these wires are secured to the wall or tucked safely underneath desks.
In a factory or industrial environment, things are a tad different. It’s not just a case of tidying the floor. You need to consider the actions that cause accidents. We’re sure there are plenty of back injuries caused every year by someone trying to lift something that’s too heavy. If you want to avoid this type of injury look into using industrial drawer slides. With these slides, heavy equipment can be moved without any pressure on the worker.
Put Checks In Place
It’s important that any equipment or tech in the workplace is checked on a regular basis. The smallest falter could cause a terrible accident. For instance, we bet you have never considered checking the kettle in the office kitchen. But you really should. If there is a loose wire and it gets wet, an employee could suffer a nasty shock. They might get hurt, but you’ll be the one that needs to pay for the damages.
Issues like this can be avoided if you appoint health and safety officers. They will check your work environment regularly and make sure all hazards are noticed and resolved. Health and safety officers can be hired from an outsourcing company. Or, they may be members of your existing work team.
Make Sure Staff Are Trained
Lastly, if you want to reduce the chance of human error causing an accident you need to train your staff. Make sure they are able to recognise hazards in the workplace so that they can fix them without your help. If you do this, you’ll be giving your employees more responsibility to keep themselves safe. Remember, you can only do this if you have invested and given them the proper training. This will also help your defence if an employee does bring a personal injury claim forward.
