4 Commonly Overlooked Workplace Safety Hazards

The workplaces in which we spend so much time can be quite hazardous environments, with many of the most common workplace safety hazards frequently overlooked because we often don’t know that they’re there or that there’s something that we should be doing another way.

Here are four commonly overlooked workplace safety hazards that we all need to be aware of at work.

1. Heavy or Bulky Objects and Improper Lifting

It doesn’t take much to injure oneself and some of the most common injuries in the workplace are related to heavy or bulky objects and improper lifting techniques, with most lifting injuries affecting the lumbar region of the spine.

It’s very important that all employees are given proper training on how to lift heavy or bulky objects using the correct techniques to avoid these common workplace injuries. What’s more, all employees should ask for assistance from a fellow employee if they’re lifting something that they feel is too heavy for them to lift safely without help. This is an essential step in avoiding lifting injuries.

2. A Lack of Training

Providing employees with the correct training is essential to avoiding unnecessary accidents and incidents in the workplace. Workplace health and safety training delivers a wealth of benefits to business organisations and employees alike, so it’s in every business’s best interests to ensure that their employees are provided with the proper training.

Specialist training is available for employees, like gas test atmospheres training Perth. This kind of training is essential for all employees who work in confined spaces and gas testing atmospheres.

3. Items Left Lying on the Floor

Perhaps the most common workplace safety hazard of them all, items left lying on the floor greatly contribute to the thousands of slip and trip accidents that happen in workplaces across the country every year. These incidents aren’t limited to workplaces that are considered ‘dangerous’, like construction sites and to a lesser extent manufacturing facilities, as this kind of accident happens every day in office and retail environments, which are work environments usually considered ‘safe’.

4. Working at Height or In Confined Spaces

More workplace accidents occur when employees are working at heights or in confined spaces, which means it’s essential to provide employees who work in these environments with the correct training, for example, gas test atmospheres training in Perth. In addition to providing specialist training, it’s also important to have the workplace regularly inspected by OHS experts to make sure the workplace is as safe as possible for the employees and anyone else who visits the workplace.

There are many areas in which workplace health and safety can be improved because safety hazards are overlooked in most workplaces, even those with high levels of workplace health and safety. The four commonly overlooked workplace safety hazards that have been discussed here are the use of improper lifting techniques, a lack of training, allowing items to remain on the floor and working at heights or in confined spaces. Take note of the points made here to make your workplace safer.