Sometimes accidents are inevitable and we’ve all fallen victim to slips, trips and falls. Homes, roads and work environments all harbour potential hazards, some more obvious than others, often making accidents predictable rather than preventable.
However, some accidents are avoidable if the appropriate measures are taken, so with this in mind here are a few things you can do to steer clear of accidents as far as possible in the workplace.
Adhere to health and safety procedures
Even though it might not seem like your main concern, it’s important to know the health and safety protocol at work and follow it for your own and for others’ sake.
At the end of the day, employers are responsible for the wellbeing of their employees during their shifts. Employers have procedures in place to avoid accidents and provide a safe environment for you to work in.
If you follow the procedures, you are less likely to have an accident and sustain a serious injury.
Feeling drowsy and tired at work can lead to accidents. Feeling sleepy in the workplace reduces concentration and makes you more likely to become clumsy and injure yourself, especially in roles where you are operating heavy machinery.
On the other hand, if you’re alert chances are you will be on the ball, not only helping you to stay safe but also leading to better performance.
If you work in a factory or similar environment then the risks of being involved in an accident may be higher but it’s not guaranteed that you will! You can reduce the chances by wearing the uniform required and other protective garments as appropriate.
It’s not worth leaving your safety to chance, so always go to work dressed accordingly. Your employer has a legal responsibility to provide a safe working environment, suitable training and appropriate safety equipment such as uniform.
Never take risks
If you’re required to undertake tasks on your job which are potentially dangerous and could lead to an accident, you should ensure that you have been properly trained.
You are within your rights to refuse to do a job if your employer hasn’t trained you for it, especially if the action you will take will put others as well as yourself in danger.
If you’ve done all the things mentioned above to do your part in keeping yourself safe and you’re injured in an accident at work you may feel it’s because your employer has fallen short of doing their part in ensuring your safety. If that’s the case and it can be proved, then you’d have good grounds to make a claim.