Improving Workplace Safety

In certain industries, each employer must create a				AWAIR. Individual employees will report concerns
safety and health program known as ï¿½A				to their supervisors. All the supervisors and
Workplace Accident and Injury				managers of the company, who are responsible
Reduction,ï¿½ or AWAIR, program, as				for health and safety at each specific worksite,
required by Minnesota Statute ï¿½ 182.653				will then report any concerns to the safety
subd. 8. An AWAIR program must be in writing				director. S/he will then set up or modify existing
and there are five key points that it must				training programs to provide adequate personal
address:				protection for those concerned workers.
1. How the program will be implemented and then				Each job location is unique and dynamic, so site
maintained by managers, supervisors, and				supervisors should check worksites daily for
employees.				compliance with the safety program implemented.
2. How new or existing hazards, conditions and				A Site Safety Checklist is an easy way to do this.
operations will be identified, analyzed, and then				Because there is a danger of procedures
controlled.				becoming routine, and therefore lax, random
3. The method for communicating the plan to all				inspections and reviews should also be carried out
employees that might be affected by				regularly.
work-related hazards and controls.				Accidents are not completely avoidable, however.
4. How, in the event of a workplace accident, the				Site supervisors should investigate all accidents or
incident will be investigated and then what				near-miss events that occur. Although dangerous,
corrective action will take place.				these events will help the supervisor, as well as
5. The type of enforcement that will be used for				the safety director, rework the health and safety
safe work rules and practices.				program to provide a safer working environment.
Since workplace environments are constantly				Workplace safety should be critically important to
changing and new employees are hired, the				a company. Employees are one of the most
AWAIR program must be reviewed and analyzed				important parts of a business, so keeping them
for effectiveness at least annually. If workplace				safe and informed about potential risks and
safety is a real concern to an employer, this task				consequences should be a primary concern. Not
will not be difficult. Regardless of the job,				only do accidents at work affect human lives, but
employee safety should be reinforced constantly				also can affect workersï¿½ compensation
to keep employees at a high level of				costs, training expenses, productivity, and
performance.				insurance rates. Violation of health and safety
A healthy workplace for all employees should be a				rules should be disciplined, while compliance to the
primary concern for any company, and should be				rules should be rewarded.
supported by company policy. To always reduce				The key to a successful safety program such as
the number of accidents and injuries at a jobsite				an AWAIR, is a clear set of goals and objectives
should always be a goal. A safe work				for safety and health at the workplace. These
environment is not an individual job, however. It				goals should be understandable, informative, and
requires cooperation between an employee, his				enforced throughout the company in order to
her co-workers, and management. While				prevent accidents and preserve life. Not only will a
employees are the group that is most directly				company benefit from preventing these things,
affected by a safety program, the managers and				but the employees will have a higher level of
supervisors are the ones who are responsible for				performance knowing how safe their work
creating and enforcing the program.				environment is, and how much the management
Many companies will have a safety director who				is concerned with their safety.
is responsible for organizing a program such as

DAN

Improving Workplace Safety

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