Reducing accidents in the workplace and making yourself or your staff safer should be your #1 priority. In Great Britain, it has been estimated by the Health and Safety Executive that over 600,000 workers are injured at work every year. It's not just high-risk jobs like waiters and machinery staff who are at risk, but managers, chefs and dishwashers are also in danger of suffering an accident at work. Some hazards can’t be avoided. You can’t magically make the stairs go flat and start ironing out the uneven floorboards (as much as you wish you could!). Looking for ways how to improve safety in the workplace isn't a difficult task, here's 5 ways you can make improvements.
How to create a safer workplace
Many injuries at work are caused by accidents and you can reduce these by improving safety in the workplace.
1) Wet Working Areas
Working in wet areas can't always be avoided but you can minimise the risk of injury by:
- Making sure floors are as clean and dry as possible
- Using slip-resistant material or anti-skid tape in busy and bustling areas
- Placing water-resistant mats in entrances and at the front of your sinks
- Choosing floor cleaning and maintenance products which are correct for your flooring type and have slip-resistant properties
- Use warning signs to let people know they are walking on a wet surface
Even with the best practices implemented, choosing the correct footwear in wet working areas is crucial. Excess moisture in the form of puddles, wet areas (like swimming pools) or even just the dampness left after mopping are all potential slipping hazards which a good slip-resistant shoe can help deal with.
Shoes For Crews developed the Mighty Grip outsole with wet working areas and spillages in mind. Our unbelievable traction will help prevent those nasty slips. Not only will it begin to reduce the pain caused by such events, it can also reduce the cost of lost working time (Did you know injuries at work cost employers in Great Britain £2.8 Billion?).
2) Lighting
It's probably not at the top of everyones list, but lighting can have an impact on your footwear choice and should always be taken into consideration. Dim or flashing lights can impair vision and cause someone to slip or trip on an unseen object.
- Installing the correct lighting in work areas and walkways would minimise this problem considerably.
We do, however, understand that perfect lighting isn’t always practical. After all, it also has a huge impact on the setting’s ambiance.
When the lighting cannot be perfect, the correct footwear can help to counteract potential hazards.
3) Equipment
Employers should always recommend safe working practices to ensure safeguards are in place to avoid potential accidents. Staff should take care when using dangerous equipment, whether it’s food production machinery, electrical goods or sharp chopping knives. One key safeguard is having the right shoes which would offer an extra factor of protection against equipment risks.
For example with the finest variety of knives around, even the toughest of chefs will need a pair of composite toe cap shoes like our Mario and Luigi styles (available in black or white).
4) Floor Types
Each workplace has different floor materials: from tiles to carpet, to wood, to stone, to laminate. There are so many flooring materials to choose from and each come with their pros and cons.
- Tiles, wood and laminate can often become slippery when wet
- Stone can naturally be uneven and make your balance unsteady
- Over time the thickness of the carpet can reduce and become a trip hazard
Walk around your establishment and evaluate each area where floor surfaces vary, fixing anything that could prove problematic. Replace missing floor materials to ensure an even surface and consider putting signs in areas where there could be a potential trip hazard.
5) Slip-Resistant Footwear
Aristocrat, the slip-resistant polished brogue that offers comfort and high class style
A typical work shoe can regularly come into contact with anything from carpeted dining rooms and hotel bedrooms to wet tiled areas of kitchens and production halls. It’s important to bear this in mind when picking the appropriate work shoe.
Slip resistant shoes with a high grip rating can help maintain your balance and composure on all floor types. They can even help make the transition between different floor coverings safer.
At Shoes For Crews (Europe) Ltd. we specialise in slip-resistant footwear for a range of industries. Improve safety at work with the right shoes, view all our styles:
Improve workplace safety with the right footwear
You can create a safer work environment by ensuring all your staff are wearing the correct footwear. We compared a high street shoe with one of our popular slip resistant styles and the results were interesting! There is a real difference between wearing a casual shoe and a work shoe. Find out what happened in our test:
Improving work safety is an important principle for Shoes For Crews. If you have any advice on how to improve safety in the workplace, don't be shy, share your wisdom in the comments below.