Companies are required by law to ensure they’re maintaining a safe work environment for their employees. This is the reason why top brands are putting a premium on ensuring workplace safety, given the reputational and financial impact an on-site accident could bring. More than the financial and legal implications, businesses should also see it as a moral task that requires encouraging everyone on the job to contribute.

After all, while employers are tasked with overseeing improvements on workplace safety, employees should also play a frontline role. Since they know more about what’s happening on the ground than the management does, they also bear the responsibility of detecting potential issues and demanding accountability in the face of critical lapses on the part of the employer. Here’s how employees contribute to ensuring they’re safe on the job and playing a key role in occupational safety compliance.

1. Understanding and applying safety procedures and protocols

Education and training are the pillars of a company’s compliance with local and national safety laws, in addition to investing in mitigating measures. For this reason, employers should see to it that their workers learn more than just the basics of operating and maintaining on-site assets. They must also observe best practices that enhance not just their safety but also that of their coworkers. 

Employees, for their part, are obligated in their employment contracts to follow company policies, particularly those concerning safety and risk prevention. Much of this involves getting oriented on key aspects such as the wearing of safety gear and ensuring cleanliness before and after using facilities and tools. 

2. Identifying potential hazards and notifying management

Regular audits are standard practice regardless of industry, but these shouldn’t overlook the need to empower employees in helping to detect safety issues that require immediate action. For one, their workplaces might be located in areas contaminated with asbestos fibers, leading to hefty asbestos claims payouts if employees develop mesothelioma and other related conditions as a result of prolonged exposure. 

Vigilance is valuable in uncovering safety issues that may have been overlooked by management. The sooner these are reported, damages and losses will remain within manageable and minimal levels.

3. Reviewing workers’ compensation and occupational safety laws

Another key area of improving workplace safety is allowing employees to understand their legal right to work under safer conditions. All companies need to offer benefits and protections to employees at a greater risk of injury due to the nature of their jobs. 

A thorough understanding of workers’ compensation laws and occupational safety requirements can help employees demand compensation and liability, especially if they were involved in accidents that have led to disability or a prolonged inability to work. Under these laws, workers have the right to participate in safety meetings and suggest ways to address existing issues.

4. Supporting each other through teamwork

When it comes down to putting workplace safety into practice, it’s mostly a matter of collective effort. Employees must understand their role not just towards keeping themselves safe but also ensuring that their co-workers are out of harm’s way. In this sense, it matters for everyone to develop a sense of collective responsibility and accountability in identifying and responding to safety hazards. 

Employees must also learn how to support each other by detecting signs of overwork and making sure everyone onboard is in good condition. In addition, they should also see the value of looking out for each other’s mental well-being, considering how one’s emotional state could influence the overall environment.

Endnote

Taking into account the importance of workplace safety, not just as a requirement but a moral obligation, employees should be more aware of their rights and the roles they play in mitigating risks. This benefits them just as much as it benefits the companies they work for.