Believe it or not, all employees need safety training, even if they seem secure behind their desks. Here are some things to keep in mind.
As an employer, you are required to provide a safe and healthful working environment, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act General Duty Clause. And this is true even if you run a seemingly low-risk office. At a minimum, you must provide some basic training and mitigate all known safety hazards.
There are even better reasons to be proactive when it comes to workplace safety:
- Improved worker morale and productivity
- Lower insurance premiums
- Avoiding fines, legal fees and medical expenses
Direct costs of workplace injuries
Strains and sprains are common workplace injuries. The average direct cost of a workplace sprain is $30,798, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety Pays estimator. Direct costs are easily quantifiable because they are invoiced expenses related directly to the injury such as medical and hospital bills, workers’ compensation premiums and rehab or physical therapy expenses. These expenses may be reimbursed by insurance or tax write-offs.
The indirect costs (lost productivity) associated with workplace injuries are often even higher.
Indirect costs of workplace injuries
For a workplace sprain, the average indirect cost is $33,535, according to the Safety Pays estimator. Indirect costs are difficult to quantify because they are expenses that occur indirectly due to the injury and the ripple effects can be wide. These expenses are not normally reimbursed by insurance or tax write-offs.
Together, the direct and indirect costs of one workplace sprain come to $64,022. That’s quite a hit to the office supplies budget.
A safety program is a proven way to reduce workplace injury, increase employee morale and perceived value, mitigate risk, reduce workers’ comp premiums and protect your operations bottom line.
Safety training — office hazard areas and employer liability exposures
Workplace safety training is important for lots of reasons unrelated to OSHA citations, but it’s important to remember that OSHA fines are always a possibility. OSHA has fined employers for active shooter events, workplace violence incidents, bloodborne pathogens exposures and ergonomics violations under the General Duty Clause. As an employer, you must look at your office from the perspective of potential hazards and risk mitigation in the areas of:
- Hazard communication (chemicals used in the workplace)
- Basic first aid (and how to safely administer it)
- Exposure to bloodborne pathogens (using universal precautions for first aid and cleanup)
- Slip, trip and fall hazards (keeping the workplace free from clutter and walkways open)
- Disinfecting measures in the office space (reopening and COVID-19)
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Back strain prevention/safe lifting techniques
- Portable ladder safety
- Active shooter response
- Workplace violence prevention
- Emergency exits and escape routes
- Disaster planning and plan rehearsal
- Fire safety
- Fire extinguisher safety
- Driver safety (for employees who run errands or meet clients)
- Employment law (wrongful termination, legal hiring)
- Workplace discrimination
- Abuse and anti-harassment policy
- Cyber liability exposure (preventing cyber hacks)
- Workplace ethics
Talk to your insurance broker or agent about risk management and safety training programs. They may have solutions for you.
Safety training compliance — keep records
Keep track of your employee safety training completion records. If you use an online training system, your recordkeeping obligations may already be met since the system usually tracks completion records automatically. If you do in-person training, you’ll need sign-in sheets that include the date, employee names and signatures, and the name of the training. You should also keep a copy of any materials or handouts used in case of an audit.
A safety committee can generate employee buy-in
Establish a safety committee at your office. The committee can meet annually to review your safety measures and written safety programs (required for offices with 11 or more employees).
Make health and safety a way of life at your business just like you might for benefits wellness program incentives. This kind of employee buy-in can shift the workplace culture to a mindset of safety.
It pays to be proactive
Insurance underwriters are often interested in auditing business safety and compliance training programs because they have an investment in your risk planning. They like to see that you’re reducing your potential for risk exposure because this may decrease your policy claims. A solid training program also shows a good faith effort and that you take safety seriously. This can go a long way in the event of an audit or lawsuit.
Ask your insurance professional about safety training resources
Talk to your insurance agent about risk management and safety training compliance solutions. Even if you have no training in place, your agent can help! They can be an invaluable resource for employers who want to stay ahead of the risk curve but don’t know where to start.
Looking for more information
Looking for help with this topic? Please contact our Risk Management team.
This content is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing professional, financial, medical or legal advice. You should contact your licensed professional to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Please refer to your policy contract for any specific information or questions on applicability of coverage.
Please note coverage can not be bound or a claim reported without written acknowledgment from a OneGroup Representative.
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