June is National Safety Awareness Month. It a great time to make sure that your company is safety compliant! Join thousands of companies and organizations as they spend the month focusing on reducing leading causes of injury at work, on the road, and in our homes and communities.
The average OSHA Safety fine is $1000
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. OSHA requires companies to provide their employees with a safe and healthy workplace that is free of hazards. Unexpected accidents can happen in the workplace. However, employees must have access to the proper medical and first aid personnel and supplies.
According to the American Society of Safety Engineers, workplace safety programs can reduce injuries by half. Workplace safety programs teach employees the proper and safest way to work.
Ensuring your company is safety compliant can be challenging. OSHA has various rules and regulations based on different aspects of your business. These can be based on things such as industry, building size, and employee size, and more. Here are 5 items every company should include on their safety checklist:
First aid kits
Companies of all sizes require the use of first aid kits. Office360 offers kits that will fit the size your company needs. Small first aid kits usually contain band-aids, aspirin, scissors, gauges, and afterburn creams. Larger first aid kits can have an addition of a variety of medication, creams, medical tape, and more. The first steps are to determine what kind and how big of a safety kit fits your company.
AED
Automated External Defibrillators (AED) is an important lifesaving technology that is most commonly used to treat a sudden cardiac arrest. They check and monitor heart rhythm. They send electric shocks to the heat to help it regain a normal rhythm. AED’s are important to always have on hand because they strengthen the chain of survival.
Fire extinguisher
When people think of fire extinguishers, many only think about the safety they bring to people. However, fire extinguishers protect the environment too. They limit the amount of pollution going into the air from smoke and burning debris. A fire extinguisher is usually the first line of defense and often help contain or fully extinguish a fire. In approximately 80% of all fire incidents, a simple portable fire extinguisher is all that is needed to put out the fire.
Exit signs and emergency route
During times of emergency, employees should have a clearly marked path to exit the building from any point within a workplace. Every workplace should have at least two exit routes to allow employees to evacuate. OSHA requires a different number of available routes depending on the size of employees and the building. Having yearly drills help ensure all employees are aware of all the exit plans. However, having the exit plans displayed and all exit pathways marked clearly with exit signs is a great way to ensure there are no doubts in an emergency.
Wet floor signs
Slips, trips, and falls are a real problem in the workplace. Wet floor signs are used to notify and/or remind people of slip and fall hazards in the immediate area. Wet floor warning and hazard signs are very important for keeping the workplace safe when cleaning or after spills.
June is a reminder to all employees that we need to keep our companies safety compliant. OSHA’s website offers several articles on best practice items for safety. Office360 offers a full selection of products to keep your facility safe, keep production at your plant running smoothly and safely, and offer your employees proper first aid when injured. Still don’t have a fire extinguisher? We have those too!
