Workplace Safety Consulting

Best Practices CheckList

Minimizing Loss

1.

 Promote a culture that encourages everyone to be a risk manager.
  • Foster good employee-employer relationships.
  • Empowerand rewardemployees for safe work habits.
  • Set up safety teams and/or committees.
  • Involve all employees in safety inspections.
  • Make sure senior managers are visibly committed to safety in your workplace.
  • Include a discussion of your organizations safety performance as part of board meetings or annual reports.

2.

 Assess all job functions and eliminate high-risk activities.

The Hartford's loss control specialists can help you review issues that can be bringing down your safety results and undercutting your results. They'll even help you develop an action plan to remedy any potential loss-causing conditions.

  • Conduct regular inspections of your facilities.
  • Evaluate work stations for proper ergonomics.
  • Train employees in proper lifting techniques.
  • Require pre-employment physicals for certain job positions.
  • Test the air quality in your building(s).

3.

 Treat employee accidents as performance errors.
  • Make employees responsible for the equipment they work on.
  • Give supervisors more responsibility...and accountability...or safety.
  • Award and recognize safe operations.

4.

 Practice open communication.
  • Communicate acceptable levels of risk...in simple, business terms.
  • Communicate risk management performance regularly.

5.

 Stay in close contact with employees who are out with injuries.

Learn how Team Work™ can help your business and your employees get injured workers back to work as soon as medically appropriate.

  • Create return-to-work programs that include modified duties and alternative schedules.
  • Make sure managers adhere to physician’s recommendations for restricted duty.

6.

 Keep detailed safety records and accident reports.
  • Document safety inspections and any corrective actions taken.

7.

 Set up health and safety programs for all employees.
  • Tailor safety program content to your staff and organization.
  • Develop programs to eliminate illiteracy among your employees.
  • Promote employee health by offering wellness programs.

8.

 Tap available resources for valuable tips and practices on how to minimize losses in your business.
  • Check out the web site for the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) at www.osha.gov. There you can find assistance with compliance to safety standards, laws and regulations, sample safety programs, training guidelines, teaching aids, etc.
  • Contact your specific industry associations for suggestions and recommendations on how to improve saftey conditions at your organization.. and minimize losses.
  • Consider consulting with a labor attorney or labor union representative regarding workers' compensation issues that may impact your particular type of business.