Many people remember the tragic case of Bruce Hall. The 44-year-old lost his life in a preventable workplace accident. Since his death in 2013, his sister Laura has been on a mission to advocate for safety in the workplace. While Bruce’s story sent shockwaves through Missoula and the entire world, it brought an important conversation back to life. And since 2016, workplace injuries in Montana have seen a decline. As local business owners and employees, there are things we can all do to continue making Missoula safe for all workers.
Proper training
Thorough training is a must in any and every field. However, in injury prone industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation, proper training must go well beyond a series of check-offs on a list. If you are a company or firm owner, you must ensure all employees have not only undergone theoretical training–but also used these skills in a practical manner under tight supervision. This is even more important if employees are working with heavy machinery on a daily basis.
Keep equipment updated and accessible
Whatever field you may be in, safety equipment for all employees is imperative. Employees must know what type of equipment they should use or put on–such as gloves, protective face shields or custom uniforms, and they must always be accessible at all points throughout the workday. Encouraging your employees to be faster or more efficient in their jobs must never come at the expense of sacrificing standard safety procedures like being equipped head-to-toe for a job. And when equipment has an amount of wear-and-tear that makes it potentially dangerous, don’t cut costs. Keep the workplace equipment updated and on par with industry standards.
Keeping safety in the forefront
Safety in the workplace should never be viewed as a one-time thing. It is an ongoing practice, and safety refreshers are absolutely necessary for avoiding dangerous workplace situations. A representative of this Phoenix personal injury lawyer firm states that workplace injuries are one of the top personal injury cases they deal with. Periodic safety training–especially in the more accident-prone industries, can help stop these recurring yet preventable workplace injuries or fatalities.
While workplace injuries in Missoula have seen a decline in numbers since 2016, employers must continue to work towards decreasing the statistics. By properly training employees, keeping equipment updated and conducting safety refreshers, we can continue making Missoula a safe place for everyone.