Caution: June is National Safety Month
MILWAUKEE, May 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Corporate offices, industrial settings, the great outdoors -- regardless of work environment, preventing accidents and injuries while on the job is of paramount concern to employers and employees. In observation of National Safety Month in June, Manpower Inc., an expert in the world of work for 55 years, offers tips for maintaining safety in the workplace.
"Workplace safety is a top priority at Manpower, and we work diligently with our customers to ensure that together we create safe environments that foster health and productivity," said Brent Pickens, environmental health and safety manager for Manpower Inc. "Education and prevention are the best tools for saving both employers and employees from the consequences of a workplace accident."
National Safety Month is a good time for employers everywhere to review safe workplace measures. To assist in that effort, Manpower suggests three program areas employers should consider when addressing workplace safety:
-- proactive injury and illness prevention;
-- proactive hazard recognition; and
-- effective return-to-work programs.
All levels of management must be on board in order for a safety program to be effective. Combined with education and training, they are at the heart of a proactive injury and illness prevention program. It's important for management to communicate safety rules and regulations to employees, regularly review these procedures and conduct safety training. Introducing safety measures during new employee orientation is imperative, and those messages should be repeated throughout the year with videos, training sessions and meetings to go over standard policies and introduce anything new that will enhance personal safety. In addition, make sure to solicit employee feedback for ways to improve any problem areas.
Proactive hazard recognition programs focus on education, training, empowerment and maintenance. The first step is informing employees of potential hazards and training them to react appropriately if they encounter such a situation. Then empower employees to monitor each other so everyone takes ownership of enforcing safety guidelines.
Once employees are educated and confident in their knowledge, focus on the actual work environment. Employers should assess workstations and make ergonomic adjustments that could prevent accidents and injury. In addition, employers should stress the importance of cleaning and maintenance not only for accident prevention, but also to ensure that equipment performs to its full potential.
In the event that an injury does occur, an effective return-to-work program is essential to an injured employee's mental and physical health. This program should be well documented and outline specific actions that need to be taken and who is responsible for overseeing each task. An employer should maintain regular contact with an employee who is away from work due to an injury to answer any questions they may have regarding benefits and to establish a return-to-work date.
It's possible an injured employee will not be able to return to their designated job right away. Employers should be open to temporarily placing injured employees in less strenuous jobs to accommodate any limitations resulting from an injury. It also prevents the employee from aggravating the existing injury.
"Every employee deserves a safe work environment," said Pickens. "When management and staff work together toward a common goal of safety, they can greatly reduce accidents and injuries."
For more information about health and safety in the workplace, visit Manpower's Business Resource Center at www.us.manpower.com/brc .
About Manpower
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the staffing industry, providing workforce management services and solutions to customers through 3,900 offices in 63 countries. The firm annually provides employment to two million people worldwide and is an industry leader in employee assessment and training. In North America, Manpower staffing services include administrative, industrial and contact center personnel as well as the assignment of contract professionals in information technology, scientific, finance, engineering, telecommunications and other professional areas under the Manpower Professional brand. More information on the company can be found at http://www.manpower.com/ .