At Dakota Riggers, we value safety as an essential part of our daily activities. To maintain a safe work environment, teams need to do their part to practice it every day, not only for themselves, but for everyone around them as well.
Here are 5 OSHA safety tips to follow to ensure a smooth-sailing work environment:
1. Report Hazards Immediately
A work environment that strives to communicate openly about unsafe conditions, thrives. Easy to remember, right?
This means that workers must stay alert, watch out for fellow workers, and speak up when there are potential hazards. In doing this, accidents and injuries can be prevented and can be better addressed when they happen.
Also, management needs to set the tone for open communication, where employees can communicate hazards early, without the fear of retaliation. In fact, research shows that work cultures where employees feel discouraged from reporting hazards are unfortunately 2.4 times more likely to get injured, says the National Safety Council.
It is always best if you see something, say something, no matter the circumstance.
2. Always Be Ready for Emergencies & First Aid
Tap into your inner Boy Scout and “Always Be Prepared,” for the worst. Having first aid kits on-hand, and clear Emergency Action Plan (EAP) will ensure that your team is ready for any unexpected incidents.
You never know when an emergency will happen, so it’s best to be prepared with an EAP that can account for a clear instruction on evacuation routes and emergency protocols, to keep everyone safe. If life-saving efforts are needed, certified team members can easily step in and assist victims quickly.
Being a team also means to look out for one another, and is vital in emergencies, where every minute counts.
3. Keep it Clean!
Work is not your bedroom, so keep it clean! Make sure that any walkways are clear of clutter, clean up any spills immediately, and always ensure the right guardrails and tie-offs are secured when working at heights.
It can be easy to leave a mess behind and forget about it, but that mess can potentially cause harm, without anyone realizing, until it happens. In fact, in 2024, the National Safety Council reported that 844 workers died due to falls, slips, and trips and accounted for 17% of total workplace deaths across the country.
Make sure to be aware of your environment and clean up after yourself.
4. Stay Educated
The party (that is learning) doesn’t stop after high school! Keep your crew sharp with regular safety training, hazard communication, and ongoing refreshers.
When workers are aware of the current and proper standards and practices, they not only make smarter decisions on the job, but safer ones. Who doesn’t love that?
You can check out OSHA’s official Training Repository to learn more about how your team can stay up to date on safety training and access resources for workplace safety.
5. Remember your shield: Wear Your PPE
While some accidents and hazards cannot be anticipated, you need to always wear the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as injuries can occur much more easily when these parts of the body are exposed.
In fact, OSHA says that over one-third of workplace incidents can be prevented by regular and proper use of PPE. PPE acts as a final barrier, or shield, between you and a hazard.
However, it is vital make sure that your equipment is always correctly sized, used, and maintained, as injuries can occur due to human error.
Here at Dakota Riggers, we carry a wide selection of top-quality PPE equipment, especially in protective gear for the head, eyes, ears, and feet, just the kind of stuff you need to stay safe!
As they say, ‘it’s better to be safe than sorry!’ Don’t take the chance; always protect yourself and your team every time.