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Top 10 Ways to Keep Employees Safe and Productive at Work

Are workplace injuries hurting your employees and impacting your company’s productivity?

If so, you’re not alone. According to Bureau of Labor statistics, in 2006 there were 4.1 million reported non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses in the United States. Of these injuries, 1.1 million cases resulted in time lost from work, with an average of nine days.

 

“Many employers have an increased awareness of the possibilities inherent in programs designed to minimize workplace injuries,” said John Lowe, MPT, national director of workers’ compensation clinical services. “However many of these are not adequate, mandatory or consistent within their organization.”

 

Minimizing the occurrence of workplace injuries is a collaborative effort between employers and employees, according to Lowe. Physiotherapy Associates and other industrial rehab specialists partner with employers and employees to help identify practical ways to reduce workplace injuries.

 

As a leading industrial physical therapist at Physiotherapy Associates, Lowe offers these tips, helping employers take a more serious approach to creating a healthier and safer environment for employees:

  

 

  1. Implement employee wellness programs. Fit workers are less likely to be injured and recover faster if they do get hurt. A growing number of businesses are offering employees incentives to exercise, stop smoking and get annual physicals.

 

  1. Provide on-site health care clinics. Some companies have started to offer their employees free basic medical care at on-site health clinics. Physiotherapy Associates noticed through experience that initial results show more employees are seeking and receiving medical care and absences at work are declining.

 

  1. Address complaints of discomfort before they evolve into an injury.  Implement a system that enables you to collect information immediately from employees who injure themselves at work. It is surprising how many companies do not have this in place today, and it can result in a small injury becoming a much bigger issue down the road.  

 

  1. Become aware of highest-threat jobs. Do an analysis to identify where and how most of your injuries are occurring. Once you identify the issue, you can re-engineer the job or environment to prevent those injuries from occurring in the future.

 

  1. Offer free eye exams. Frequent squinting and forward head postures cause significant issues, including headaches, back pain and neck discomfort. Providing employees with access to an annual eye exam can prevent injuries common to people with poor vision.

 

  1. Establish a safety committee of workers, management and healthcare providers. This will enable you to have a variety of perspectives that will help you achieve the best solution for your company. Ideally, this group could meet on a regular basis to identify safety issues and concerns and provide recommendations on the best way to address them.

 

  1. Develop a comprehensive plan to reduce the likelihood of injuries. This should include setting short and long-term goals. Make sure the goals and time frame to achieve them are reasonable.

 

  1. Purchase workers’ compensation insurance. Insurance provides a structured recovery plan with little hassle for workers. Many companies negotiate (or are offered) a reduction in work comp insurance premiums if they institute a safety program.

 

  1. Get buy-in from the workforce. Strategies to prevent injuries are more effective when everyone is engaged in the process. Make sure you involve employees in the process and explain to them what you are doing, why you are doing it and how it will benefit them.

 

  1. Consult with an expert. Many organizations feel they get better results and that it is more cost-effective to engage the services of consultants (typically healthcare professionals) to help set up safety programs. This allows the advantage of having an outsider with an unbiased view and training in injury prevention to provide their expertise.

 

Tactics for prevention of workplace injuries vary according to the specific work situation. The best results, however, are usually obtained from a collaborative effort by employers and employees.

 

So whether you have personal experience with workplace injuries or you know someone who has, the strategies from Physiotherapy Associates are examples of ideas employed successfully by some businesses.

 

For more information about Physio@Work, Physiotherapy's Industrial Rehabilitation program, click here.