Your business is very important, and when you add employees, the operation becomes much more complex as you become responsible for the health and wellbeing of your team.
In your day-to-day operations, you need to recognize that several common workplace areas may harm your employees:
- Wet floors, uneven surfaces and cluttered areas can cause trips, slips or falls.
- Electrical hazards can cause shock or fires.
- Poor lighting, extreme temperatures or other environmental factors can contribute to accidents, as can fatigue from long hours.
- Chemical hazards can cause harm to employees.
- Improper lifting of heavy objects can lead to serious injury.
If there is lack of training on equipment or the expected hazards in your business, your employees could be seriously hurt. Likewise, conflicts between employees may result in workplace violence.
To prevent problems, you should employ safety measures like regular training sessions to ensure your team understands safety protocols and know how to use the appropriate personal protective equipment. Safety signage is crucial, and annual risk assessments are recommended to ensure that the appropriate mitigation is in place for your team’s protection. Be sure you have an incident reporting procedure in place to understand what caused an issue, why it happened and how it may be prevented.
Your insurance agent can help you with a risk assessment and with providing coverage to protect your employees. Here are some options to consider:
- Workers comp coverage is a good idea even when not required by law. It protects your valued team members in case of accidents or work-related illnesses.
- General liability insurance protects your business from lawsuits from clients on your premises. If lawsuits are filed against your business by an employee due to an injury, you would be protected with an employers liability insurance policy.
- You may want to consider accident insurance for unforeseen mishaps.
There are many types of coverage you can discuss with your insurance professional. Adequate protection not only will assist your business in complying with legal obligations, but also will give you financial security and peace pf mind.
