Knocks / injuries and accidents at work and expensive production costs of employers and countries. Accidents at work Annual Report of the Ministry of Economy and National Insurance Institute published in May this year show that in 2015 those who have suffered accidents at work were received from the state over 4.5 billion NIS- an expenditure tough not consider damage at the workplace and other indirect expenses, particularly by the loss of working days – about two million working days per year and an estimated loss of productivity in the economy still many billions ” complies with this report. In light of your employer, a worker injury or accident can “bite a chunk out of your bottom line //  safety line.” The best way to avoid this type of spending is simply avoiding them. American insurance company Travelers Travelers recently published results of a research study that brings workplace accidents maps constructed the most common injuries in the workplace.

The most common five causes of accidents are:

• Forklift – 32%
• Landslides, trips and falls – 16%
• kicks or collisions with objects – 10%
• Accidents involving instruments / tools – 7%
• trauma gained for a body part as a result of work effort – 4%

Five  types of common injuries are:

• sprains and stretching – 30%
• cuts and pricks – 19%
• bruising – 12%
• inflammation (such as inflammation of the tendons) – 5%
• Fractures – 2%

The year 2015 there were wounded in Israel, as a result of accidents, approximately 50 thousand employees and 54 were killed. Most dangerous sector is the construction, but really anyone, at work, raise, handle loading, unloading, presents a big risk. P aragraph “Material handling”, which opens the list above refers to accidents caused by these activities. Even those who spend their days work sitting in front of a computer are exposed to cumulative trauma suffered due to overworking hands, back and eyes . Varda Edwards, head of occupational health and safety at the Ministry of Economy, cited the report says, “to reduce the number of accidents at work in Israel requires a determined and persistent activity, daily management of resources in safety. But this is not enough. Employers must relate to this topic as one of the first rank, respect the law and ensure continuously that workers have adequate safeguards and safe working. So how can you reduce the risk of injuries and accidents at work in your business?

Reducing risk factors to injuries and accidents at work

Preventing injuries and falls slip autumn will ensure that public areas are well lit and clean use of obstacles and anti-slip flooring. The restaurant is recommended to use rubber stair carpets, bathrooms or offices. Must use and anti slip floor. After the floor is washed, it must be put warning signs.

Exercise caution when using stairs – workers have shown the proper way to use a ladder, starting with the complete dissolution of the ladder, emphasizing ensure stability and climb up on it just at the height recommended by the manufacturer for it. Also, it should be expressly asked employees to work together when using a ladder, so that a worker will climb the ladder and the other will be responsible for security.

Provide protective equipment – Make sure your employees have the safety equipment they need to perform their work and they understand the importance of using it. For example, workers who load and unload or make orders in a warehouse of goods must be given for lifting straps or back. In fact, employers must ensure that their workers do not lift weights greater than allowed without the proper equipment – violates the law, and employees who are injured have the right to sue for negligence in providing adequate working conditions and providing improper instruction, which is a breach of legal obligations by the employer.

Ergonomics – one of the most common causes of injuries in the workplace is caused by stress in daily activities, such as typing, using a mouse or prosecution of a computer screen for hours. Give your employees the ergonomic tools they need to stay healthy – orthopedic chairs, computers, keyboards and mice ergonomics and sufficient lighting.

Be careful – sometimes technology creates new risks. Just as computers have led to an increase in injuries caused by repetitive stress, smart phones have created a new type of risk: workers that revolves around the workplace when immersed watching the screen, they are at risk high tripping to other workers or crash into objects. Draws attention employees on such behavior and realize other types of safety risks in labor who are born as a result of daily habits seemingly innocuous.

Creating a culture  of safety at work. Be the example for your employees and convey the message that their welfare and safety in the workplace are priorities of your business. Encourage your staff to behave in the same way. For example, if employees are always on the rush, the likelihood of accidents increases. You have to remind them of their responsibility for their own safety, and if this means that they must slow down – not punish them. Consider offering incentives for employees or departments that have failed to pass a certain number of days without any accident at work.

Despite the good intentions, accidents and injuries at work is going – so it is important that:

• Keep a first aid kit handy, and make sure your employees know where the kit is and know how to use it. Simple injuries such as cuts can lead to infections if not treated immediately, and which – according to research on contamination simple injuries, workers can take a long time away from the workplace.
• to keep an organized journal for accidents at work: the description of the accident and the treatment. No matter how easy and insignificant accidents at work, recording information about date, time, cause and treatment of the accident will help if the employee decides to sue you for damages you ask. Make sure employees know where the diary and what information must enter into it, to be sure you have all the information needed in case of an accident – no matter who is present on site.
• Make sure your assurance is sufficient – Talk to your insurance agent about what coverage may be right for your business, including the issue of compensation of damages to workers and make sure the policy is suitable for your needs. A good agent will also help you identify and minimize risk in your business.

This post is based on an article published in the original HERE.