Workplace - the most frequent place of accidents?
No matter of the type of work are you doing the accident might always happen to you. Of course there are some occupies that are more likely to be dangerous. But why do accidents happen at all? And is there such thing as `safety culture` at workplace?
Reports show that most dangerous occupies are for example: pilot, truck driver, builder. It is simple why a place where the building is being constructed might be dangerous. But offices and shops are not totally safe. The level of safety usually depends on workers and managers attitude to the subject. Statistics show that most work accidents are results of slips and falls on work premises, or injuries sustained whilst handling heavy items. The statistics about claims that were made recently show that most injuries are caused by defective and dangerous equipment or because of dangerous work processes often associated with a lack of proper supervision and training.
Not in every workplace there is a thing called “safety culture“. Mostly because people do not care about it. Usually they have tendency to think that accidents happen to someone else. But the truth is that all employers are obliged to organize special safety courses for their employees, before they even start their work. Not seldom such courses are not well-prepared or future workers don`t pay much attention. Until the tragedy happens people work as they were indestructible. The red light appears not before our colleague injures himself, fall or even die. So what can we do to acquire safety culture at work?
There are only few things to remember like all workers must be aware about the safety problems. So they have to for example wear proper clothes. If it is a very dangerous physical work wearing appropriate protective equipment is essential. Employees should also be able to observe and correct hazards. Once a hazard is identified, the correction might be made and reported.
The bottom line is that employee is as much responsible for safety at work as an employer. But if employee gets injured at work he can make an accident at work compensation claim. If the employer didn`t secure the workplace at first place he will be probably obliged to pay for employees treatment. Making such accident claim is as easy as any other personal injury claim, and in many cases it brings a lot of money to injured person.
So employers should realize that forgetting about their workers safety can cost them a lot of money.
