June Is Safety Month – How Are You Keeping Yourself and Your Coworkers Safe?

June is National Safety Month, making it an excellent time to focus on ways you can keep yourself and your coworkers safe when on the job. Ultimately, workplace policies only go so far. Instead, it requires wise action to genuinely create a safe work environment for everyone.

There are plenty of steps you can take that can make a legitimate difference.

Here are some tips to keep you and your coworkers safe while at work.

Practice Situational Awareness

Vigilance is often a key to safety in the workplace. With situational awareness, you make sure that you don’t just focus on your actions while handling your responsibilities but also what’s happening around you. Being aware of various risks – including those inherent to your worksite or those that result from the action of colleagues – allows you to make smarter decisions throughout the day. Plus, it creates opportunities to intervene if another person ends up at risk.

Use Safety Equipment

Safety equipment is there to reduce the risk of injury or illness. Whether it’s personal protective equipment (PPE) you’re asked to wear or guards on machinery, make sure you have the proper safety equipment in place at all times. Along with keeping you safe, it helps ensure the safety of your coworkers, as they won’t need to put themselves at risk to intervene if you’re in an accident.

Avoid Clutter

Cleanliness makes a workplace safer. Clutter on workstations means there are more items in the way, and that could increase the odds that something will fall in a spot where it creates a risk if you move it about haphazardly. Similarly, items scattered across the floor could cause someone to trip or slip, putting them at risk of injury.

Items in walkways or in front of doors also introduce more hazards. If there’s an emergency – like a fire – and everyone needs to leave swiftly, it could cause people to stumble and injure themselves before they can safely exit. As a result, it’s best to keep items off of the floor in those areas at all times.

Take Your Breaks

While it doesn’t seem like taking your breaks has a significant impact on safety, it makes a difference. By seizing opportunities to rest and recharge, you’re more alert when you’re handling your responsibilities. Plus, you’re in better physical condition after giving your muscles a chance to relax, which can make tasks that require strength or dexterity easier to manage correctly.

Report Unsafe Conditions

Letting the appropriate person know about unsafe conditions in your workplace creates opportunities for precautionary or protective action. Whether it’s malfunctioning equipment or a spill on the floor, it’s a potential danger to yourself and others. By letting a supervisor or safety team member know immediately, you’re doing your part to ensure the hazard is addressed correctly and in a timely manner.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can make your workplace safer for yourself and your coworkers or are interested in finding a new job with a safety-conscious employer, Hamilton-Ryker wants to hear from you. Check out our job listings or contact one of our recruiters today.