Safe Work Habits No Matter The Job

Safe work habits benefit everyone, even those who never go near machinery or heavy equipment. Safe work habits help keep employees accountable for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.

And — like those office employees whose jobs are not dangerous — safe work habits boost morale throughout the company or facility. It’s good to know that everybody is on the same page. It’s also good to know that even in the busiest of workspaces companies keep an eye out for employees in a variety of ways. Good work habits are one such way to ensure safety.

There are dozens of things that contribute to safe work habits. In the text below, we’ve italicized some of the more common contributors to a safe work environment.

Instilling those habits and building a culture of safety is crucial. Safe work habits are vital because as habits, they’re done consciously but also automatically. That means an employee can become quite skilled at their job, continue to produce at a level that’s expected of them, and maintain a solid and error-free safety record.

This kind of safety-conscious focus and production is a winner all around for businesses large and small. Whether or not a company has a lot of machinery and moving parts, safe work habits play a huge role in employee retention, productivity, and morale.

Let’s take a minute to examine some of the things that we here at Storee Construction have found to be safe work habits after nearly 60 years in the construction contracting industry.

Hazard Assessment

The first step in the creation of a safe work plan — and thus the reinforcement of safe work habits among workers — is a hazard assessment. This should be a priority for every worker in the facility. No worker should be allowed to start their duties on a job or task that hasn’t been assessed for potential hazards.

And potential hazards are numerous. Consider a production or warehouse facility. Now think of how many hazards there are for an employee who works the floor at either of those facilities. Doesn’t matter if the employee has been there 21 days or 21 years.

There is much to be aware of regarding work hazards and much to be taken into account to keep the people working there safe and operations running smoothly.

Communication and Teamwork

Communication requires that every employee be made aware of and compelled to adhere to safety procedures put in place. This recognition allows employees to understand the specific safety habits required for the job they have been hired to do and the work environment in which they do it.

This includes but is not limited to the proper and consistent use of protective equipment in work areas where it has been deemed essential. It’s also essential that every employee has an appropriate workload and supervision.

These good habits start on Day 1. Over time, as technology and safety standards evolve, the employee should be kept apprised of these advancements to improve their safety habits.

We mentioned above that these rules apply to someone whether they’ve been an employee for 21 days or 21 years. An employee who’s worked for two decades or more is a veteran; true — and he or she is likely to follow safe work habits as a matter of routine.

But it’s the very familiarity of routine that can lead to injuries on the job. This is known as indifference, and it is a leading cause of workplace injuries.

Thus, long-time employees are often the ones most in need of consistent retraining, reminders, and refresher safety courses. This helps prevent them from becoming too familiar with and not attentive enough to any dangers inherent in the roles they perform for the company each day on the job.

Teammates can help in this regard. Teamwork helps remind others that safety is everyone’s responsibility — but it starts with the individual.

Get in touch with Storee with any questions. And stay safe out there.