The Business Case for a Cleaner, Safer Workplace
Spring is a great time of year to get rid of the clutter you’ve accumulated over the winter and tackle the dust and grime that has crept into your workspace. It’s also a great opportunity to think about safety and eliminate potential hazards.
Every business has industry-specific risks that can threaten safety and productivity. The simple and necessary act of protecting your employees from health and safety risks makes for healthier, happier and more productive employees—who, in turn, make your business more successful. Maintaining effective workplace health and safety can generate the following business benefits:
- Reduced absences—Improving workplace health and safety measures reduces employee absences and sick leave. Simply put, healthy employees miss fewer working days. Minimizing employee absences and sick leave saves money on both direct and indirect absence costs.
- Lowered insurance costs—Maintaining an ideal standard for your workplace health and safety programs can help lower your insurance premiums. A top-notch workplace health and safety program can lower the number of accidents in your workplace, thus reducing employers’ liability premiums.
- Improved productivity—Workplace stress and accidents are two of the biggest causes of absences. Whether they cause short, unscheduled absences or long-term illness, they can have a serious impact on your productivity and profits.
- Protected reputation—Preventing accidents and ill health helps you maintain a caring reputation for you and your business. Just one workplace accident or scandal can tarnish that hard-earned reputation. A blemish on your business’s reputation can be hard to remove and can include fines, negative public opinion, plummeting sales and media scrutiny.
Exemplary health and safety not only equips your business for future growth, but it can protect you from the costly fees associated with workplace exposures.
Be sure to keep these tips in mind when spring-cleaning:
- Take a look at the cords connecting your computer equipment, phone, mobile device chargers and other electrical items. If there is any risk of your feet getting tangled, the cords could cause a tripping hazard. Keep cords grouped together safely, away from your legs and feet.
- Read safety labels before using cleaning products. Some can release toxic fumes or even cause chemical burns if not used properly. When finished using them, store them safely, away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
- Tackle workplace clutter by discarding unnecessary items, especially if anything has spilled over to the floor or piled up to unsafe heights on your desk.
- If disposing of old documents, place them into secure recycling containers to avoid jeopardizing personal and company information.
- Remove expired items from refrigerators and use a food-safe disinfectant to clean fridge shelves and drawers.
Spring is also a good time to check any personal protective equipment to make sure it still fits properly and is in good working condition.