Preparing for the Worker Injury is Leadership at it’s Finest
When a worker becomes injured at work, it is easy for panic to become commonplace. That’s panic among the frontline employees who may have witnessed the injury as well as panic among leadership who have a natural obligation to do something. Not to mention, the injured employee has a reasonable right to a certain amount of panic themselves. That’s why leaders have to be prepared for the worst, though they work diligently to prevent worker injury. That’s why adding appropriate signage to warn of danger as well as direct panicked employees towards life saving equipment is essential. The “fog of war” as they call it can cloud the mind and make otherwise normal decisions very difficult. By adding a little signage, you can cut through the fog and potentially save another’s life.
Be Prepared to Save a Life
It will always be incumbent upon leaders to look out for the welfare of those they charged with leading. Certainly, each individual is required to take charge of their own safety. However, this doesn’t let leadership off the hook. That’s why it will be up to leaders to ensure their workplace is covered with the appropriate safety signage in the event of an emergency. We’ve put together a series of signs specifically designed to highlight safety practices and life-saving first aid equipment.
During an emergency, those present need to have a clear understanding of where this life saving equipment is located. The signs are all color coded and even adds imagery in case there is a language barrier. Let’s just take this “Emergency Shower Here” sign. When harmful chemicals spill on an employee, time is of the essence. This sign allows all to clearly understand where the shower is and avoid wasting precious minutes. In addition, if personnel on the scene have a limited understanding of English, we’ve even got a picture that makes it pretty clear what is going on here. This is a shower you hope you may never have to use, but good leaders prepare for the worst.
An Open Door Policy for Safety
In addition to highlighting emergency safety equipment, we also offer a little extra signage that tries to prevent the accident in the first place. After debriefing countless workplace accidents, an often common theme discovered is that frontline employees knew something was wrong. However, they had anxiety about reporting it up the chain of command. That’s why this “Team Safety: If it’s Unsafe for Unsanitary Report it to Your Supervisor” sign is so important. It reminds the employee that they have an obligation to their fellow team members.
It is important for supervisors to have a genuine open door policy when it comes to safety. Adding the appropriate signage can give employees some reassurance that they will be heard. If you don’t encourage your employees to report unsafe situations, then you might have a little more frequent need of the sign to tell them where stretcher and first aid kit are located. In the end, good safety practices always boils down to good leadership. Take care of your employees and your employees will take care of your industry. We’ve been in the business of protecting the great American employee for over 70 years now and they deserve your very best. Display excellent leadership with some excellent signage and be sure they go home to their families at the end of every shift.