21 THINGS TO DO TO FOR A SAFE WORKPLACE
Offer employees a share of insurance premium reductions which result from a reduced number of accidents. - Match the applicant carefully to the job. Test their skills and physical abilities.
- Install alarm systems for theft, entry and fire purposes.
- Make sure that all threats of violence are reported and investigated immediately.
- Maintain a first aid cabinet, post first aid information, including fire, police, and ambulance numbers, and a poster on how to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
- Comply with all Federal and State OSHA IIPP requirements.
- Comply with all hazardous materials reporting requirements, including identification of hazardous substances.
- Clearly mark and keep clear all your exits, aisles, and passages. Provide stairs with slip resistant surfaces, handrails and proper lighting.
- Make sure your equipment contains safety guards, electrical grounding, readily available and easily identifiable power shut off switches and emergency stop buttons.
- When appropriate provide your employees with, and require them to wear, protective clothing including: safety glasses, gloves, hard hats, steel toed boots, headphones, hearing protective equipment, wrist braces, back support belts, and the like.
- Do not allow productivity pressures to compromise safety.
- Make sure the furniture and equipment you use at the work is ergonomically designed. This includes chairs, computer keyboards, computer screens, as well as other equipment involving repetitive physical use.
- Address indoor pollution problems through proper ventilation and inspection.
- Regularly inspect your equipment for functionality and safety purposes.
- Have a safety officer, a safety plan, and conduct safety meetings.
- Make sure to send ill employees home before allowing them to work around dangerous machinery.
- Make sure you communicate emergency response plans for fire, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, etc.
- Drug test new employees and after accidents.
- Clearly set forth smoking prohibitions and participate in anti-smoking campaigns.
- Do a criminal reference check for employees in positions of responsibility for elders, infants and others who are dependent on their care.
- Do pre-hire and annual Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) checks for all employee who drive as part of their job.