Accidents can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Most accidents happen in the workplace where people are more exposed to different types of hazards such as heavy machinery and working at heights. Human error, negligence, faulty equipment, risky behavior, and unsafe working conditions are the usual causes of injuries or deaths in the workplace.

You may not have complete control over what will happen in the future, and you may not be able to predict when the next accident will happen. But you can definitely do something about minimising the possible dangers in your workplace. By doing so, you can lower the chances of any accidents happening in your facility. The best way to do this is through developing and implementing an accident prevention plan.

Why is it important to prevent accidents?

Accidents, which usually happen unexpectedly, often result injuries, illness, loss or damage to property, and sometimes even death. The financial, psychological, and emotional cost of an accident is high. Injuries can cause distress to the individual involved in the accident because they won’t be able to function and work normally. Permanent damage caused by an accident can completely derail what a person does for a living. Irreversible injuries can impact the individual’s entire family. The repercussions of an accident can also have an impact on you as an employer as you need to pay for compensation, production loss, insurance claims, and other additional costs brought about by the accident. For these reasons, it is much easier to take extra precautions in avoiding possible accidents than trying to fix the damage that results. 

What is an Accident Prevention Plan?

Safety and accident prevention plans are geared towards protecting you and your employees from hazards at work. An accident prevention plan involves appropriate preparations and necessary actions taken to minimise, if not completely prevent, accidents. When an accident prevention plan is properly implemented, in the event that of an accident, the degree of injuries, damages, and losses will be significantly lessened. 

Basically, an accident prevention plan involves the following elements:

Risk assessment

This involves a thorough observation of the workplace and the identification of potential risks and dangers.

Mitigating risks or hazards

This involves the actions or measures taken to minimise, or completely eradicate, the potential hazards in the workplace. This could entail fixing or replacing all faulty machinery and equipment, keeping the work areas free of spillage or debris, installing proper lighting or reinforcing scaffoldings, or even changing process or procedures in the workplace. 

Active participation

An accident prevention plan can be effective only if both the management and the workers work together to make sure that the prevention plan is implemented properly. Everyone must follow the regulations and standards. Management and employees should also be encouraged to be alert in identifying any new hazards that arise in the workplace and reporting them immediately.

Benefits of having an accident prevention plan

When a robust accident prevention plan is implemented and enforced in a workplace, it creates a more favourable working environment that will benefit not only the employees, but also you, as the employer.

Boosts morale of employees

When your employees feel safe in the workplace, they tend to have a more positive attitude at work. Providing the security for your employees will make them feel that they are being taken care of well. 

More productive employees

Happy and satisfied employees are more likely to produce better work in terms of quality and quantity. Having a safe and secured working environment helps keep the workplace functioning smoothly.

Reduced costs

If the accident prevention plan is followed correctly, then accidents and injuries are less likely to happen in the workplace. This means that you wouldn’t have to spend a lot on compensation costs, fines for violation of the law around workplace safety, and costs of property damage. 

If you want to know more about how you can keep your workplace safe and secured, contact Verge Safety Barriers today.