You’re proud of your company, and you provide needed goods and services around the country and perhaps even around the world. But with your productive atmosphere comes a risk. If you don’t take steps to ensure workplace safety, an employee could become injured in an accident. Follow these steps to keep your workplace environment safe and accident-free.

Develop Company Safety Guidelines
Meet with other team members to develop company safety policies you can all agree upon. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets certain standards to promote safe working conditions. As you develop company safety policies, make sure you are aware of these standards. You should also consider the unique risks inherent in your area of work.

Train New Employees on Safety Policies
Each time you hire a new employee, a qualified employee should train him or her on your company safety policies. Emphasize that these policies are strictly enforced. This ensures the new employee is ready to handle the rigors of the job in a safe manner.

Hire Employees with the Right Education
Degrees in safety train employees about important topics such as employee safety education and training, workers compensation, and safety policies. Employees with this training can help fill important positions in your company. As a business manager, you don’t have time to become an expert in OSHA policies and hazardous material identification. When you hire employees with a bachelor’s degree in safety, they’ll be able to take charge of company safety responsibilities.

Maintain Company Vehicles
If there’s a problem with your company vehicles, they could break down or even cause an accident. Not only will your company need to pay for damages, but you may also have a workers compensation case on your hands if an employee was injured while driving. Thus, it’s important to check your vehicles regularly and to take them to a mechanic periodically.

Provide Safety Equipment
Depending on the nature of the job, you may need to provide equipment such as goggles, hard hats, and gloves. Don’t assume your employees know how to use this equipment; make sure they receive proper training.

Plan for Natural Disasters
In order to avoid an unexpected accident or injury, your employees should be prepared in the case of an earthquake, fire, or other disaster. Inform your employees of exit routes and meeting locations. Practice your company plan with regular fire drills.

Keep your company productive and your workers safe. Follow these steps to prevent workplace accidents and improve employee satisfaction.