Safety is the key to success in almost every scenario, especially in the workplace. According to Fibergate, one of the top reasons for staff turnover is feeling unsafe in the workplace. Facility maintenance staff members need to be extremely cautious throughout their work day if they are consistently dealing with harsh chemicals, slip and fall risks, and other risks. Today we are going to discuss a few risks facility maintenance personnel have to face in the workplace, how to avoid them, and how to help other patrons or employees of the facilities avoid them too.

A few of the major risks facility maintenance personnel face are:

• Falling due to climbing tall heights
• Utilizing harsh chemicals that require being handled with caution
• Facing risks exposure to gases and fires
• Slipping or falling in other high-risk situations

These are just a few of the many risks a facility maintenance worker faces in a day’s work. In order to lessen these risks there are a few routes of avoidance. Most of them come with an increased focus on attention to detail and strategy. Let’s take a look at the top three factors to implement to keep your facility maintenance team safe.

1 . Have a Solid Safety Plan in Place

Creating a safety plan that places an emphasis on responsible choices in the workplace is a huge contributing factor towards an injury free facility.

A few important things to include in your plan are:

• Utilizing safety gear such as gloves, goggles or safety glasses, ear plugs, respirators, hard hats, safety suits / vests and more.
• Having eye wash stations throughout the facility
• Enforcing proper chemical handling and measuring
• Keeping any gas / fire hazards at bay
• Marking or closing off areas in which clutter is acceptable and separate areas as walking zones that are to remain free of clutter and trip / slip hazards

2. Place Safety Above Cost Saving

You cannot skimp on safety; it will NOT save you money in the long run. Those who don’t invest in their staff’s safety are typically the ones who end up paying the price in stress, time, and money. Tight budgets can often lead to a low priority on investing in staff safety, but the money you will have to pay in worker’s compensation and through state and federal fines will cost you much more.

3. Provide and Enforce Safety Training

This can often fall by the wayside due to budget restrictions, but our loyal Action blog readers know how important training is. Everything from mixing chemicals, to slip and fall risks can put your employees at risk and a lack of training only increases these high-risk occurrences. When in doubt, ask your employees what would make them feel safer in the workplace at least once a quarter to make sure you are doing your due diligence to protect them.

Pro Tip: If you cannot afford formal safety training for your employees - research on YouTube for videos relevant to the systems you have in place in your facility to provide your staff with up to date information. Implement what you and your staff learn into your safety plan.

As always, our team at Action Unlimited Resources can help you provide your team with what they need to feel safe in the workplace. Contact us for more information on what types of gloves are needed for each activity, which safety goggles / glasses are right for your crew, and what other products you should invest in to keep your staff safe.