How to Help Protect Employees from Injuries on the Job
Key takeaways
- Embed safety expectations into your hiring process. Include safety adherence in job descriptions from the start to attract candidates who align with your organization’s safety culture – before their first day on the job.
- Conduct a job safety analysis (JSA) for every role. Break down each job into steps, identify associated hazards and define safe work methods to proactively mitigate risks before injuries occur.
- Deliver skills-based training, not just awareness training. Give employees hands-on experience with safety protocols rather than relying on passive methods like videos or online tutorials alone.
- Onboard and retrain employees at every transition. Begin safety training on day one and revisit it whenever employees change roles, join a new department or return from a leave of absence.
- Analyze every accident to help prevent the next one. Implement a formal accident analysis program to uncover root causes and develop corrective actions that reduce the likelihood of repeat incidents.
- Activate your workers compensation resources immediately after an injury. Connect injured employees with Claim professionals and nurse case managers to support their recovery and help them return to work as soon as medically appropriate.
Attracting and retaining top talent is a priority in any growing organization. Hiring new employees requires a substantial commitment of time and resources, and the goal to keep employees safe in the workplace should begin the moment a recruit accepts an offer. While newer employees may be particularly vulnerable to job-related injuries, formal, job-related safety programs are an effective means to minimize the number of workplace injuries and their corresponding costs.
4 ways to help protect employees from injuries on the job
1. Focus on safety from the beginning of the hiring process
Safety starts before an employee’s first day on the job. Having a formal hiring process and clear job descriptions can help attract qualified job candidates who are likely to fit well in your organization’s safety culture. Job descriptions should convey your organization’s expectations around adherence to safety practices so potential employees understand the importance of safety, starting with their first interactions with the company.
2. Conduct a job safety analysis
A job safety analysis, or JSA, is a process that breaks down each step in a job, describes the hazards associated with each step and defines the safe work method that minimizes or eliminates each hazard. A JSA can help your company understand the hazards of a particular job so you can define the procedures to address the exposure. Provide skills-based safety training, rather than awareness-based only, so employees develop a firsthand understanding of proper safety protocols. This can be more effective than, for example, simply watching a video or online tutorial.
3. Onboard and continuously train employees
Once hired, safety training can begin on day one, before an employee starts executing the tasks of their new role. Even experienced employees can be at a higher risk of an injury when switching roles or duties of employment. Whether they are new to the role, new to the department or recently returning to work in a transitional duty role after an injury, onboarding and training are essential. Regular safety training can help to ensure that employees understand and adhere to safety expectations and procedures.
4. Implement an accident analysis program
Learning from past accidents can help prevent similar ones in the future. An accident analysis program can help identify the root causes of an accident. These insights can then help companies develop corrective actions to reduce the likelihood of similar accidents and injuries.
Working with CSS on workers compensation claims
If one of your employees gets injured on the job, our Claim professionals provide your employees with the support and resources they need to return to work as soon as medically appropriate, including nurse case managers on staff who provide caring and practical support. CSS offers access to a suite of resources that simplify the claims process and enable employees to take an active role in their recovery.
Learn more about our medical resources and our workers compensation claim management services.
