Workers’ compensation insurance is mandatory for New York employers. Purchasing New York workers compensation insurance may help to fulfill your legal obligations as an employer, but is there more you could do to keep your workforce safe and healthy?
Working to eliminate workplace hazards is a great way to start your safety program. Attend to building maintenance issues like broken stair rails, uneven floors and electrical wiring faults, and make sure that hazardous equipment is fitted with safety guards and other protective devices. Look for hazards that could cause your workers to get sick, such as pesticides, poisonous chemicals, or unhygienic staff kitchens.
Continue your program by adopting safe working practices throughout your organization. Issue protective clothing, headwear and footwear and make sure that workers wear it. Modify unsafe processes so that workers are not exposed to process hazards. Develop safe working manuals and train all workers in safe practices; don’t allow personnel to do tasks until they have been trained.
Your business safety program is intended to benefit your workers, but to ensure it is embraced and accepted by your workforce you should consider adopting a whole-team approach. Your safety program is more likely to have a real impact if it involves and engages workers rather than being imposed from the top down.
How will you know whether your safety program has been successful? It should be easy: just compare the numbers of workplace accidents, sickness days and New York workers compensation claims before and after you implement your program.
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