Avoid slips and falls at the office this winter

Did you know that slips and falls are two of the most common causes of injury during the winter months? Rain, ice and snow all can dramatically increase the likelihood that you or one of your employees will end up injured. One of the best ways to avoid a serious injury? Walk like a penguin. It’s easy. Simply spread your feet out a bit to increase your center of gravity and take small steps. Next time you are out on an icy sidewalk, try it. Here are some other suggestions to help prevent wintertime slips and falls:

Monitor conditions from the parking lot to the office area. Spot check your parking area and both your outdoor and indoor pathways regularly to ensure they are safe. It’s easy to track in rain or snow, so keep an eye out for the interior entry area. Clean up any spills, wet floors or standing water immediately.

Wear the proper shoes. Make sure your shoes have proper traction. Dress shoes and other types of footwear that have little or no traction aren’t good choices when there’s rain, ice or snow. Invest in quality winter footwear that you can wear in times of inclement weather.

Assume the surface is slippery. If you aren’t sure whether a surface is icy, it’s better just to assume that it is.

Take your time. Don’t rush on rainy, icy or snowy pathways. Use any handrails that are available to you, and don’t use your cell phone while walking.

Keep your hands out of your pockets. This is an important tip. Walking with your hands in your pockets decreases your center of gravity and balance and increases your chances of suffering an even greater injury in the event of a fall. If your hands are out of your pockets, you’ll be better able to break your fall with them. Use handrails wherever available.

Take care when shoveling snow. It’s a strenuous activity that can lead to injury. When shoveling, keep your back straight, lift with your legs and do not turn or twist your body while shoveling.

Hire a quality vendor. Hiring an outside vendor to handle wintertime maintenance and ensure the safety of your workers can be a great option for your business.

Report unsafe conditions. Encourage employees to report any unsafe conditions inside or outside your facility immediately.

Respond to problems quickly. Anytime there’s an accident indoors or out, it’s critical to review your safety plan and procedures, and if needed, revise them.

At Accurate Protection, we know that businesses face a wide range of risks. Let us help you better manage them!

/by

What are you doing to prevent employee burnout?

The global pandemic added a new and challenging perspective to our lives over the past year and a half— stress and worry. It’s been a heavy load, and it’s wearing us out.

Business owners and leaders have faced many unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, including how best to keep their employees safe and how to help their organizations adapt to changing conditions. It’s been, of course, no easy task. Employees have been dealing with uncertainty over what the pandemic could mean for their families, loved ones, jobs, and careers. Continually dealing with uncertainty — and creatively coming up with solutions to address it — has made us weary. And the good news-bad news cycle has been draining. While it seemed, for example, that pandemic was winding down, the Delta variant has caused another wave of worry. And once again, we’re wondering what is going to happen next.

According to a new report by Gallup, leaders who haven’t done so already must take steps to address burnout — both their own and their employees — or risk having it impact their organizations and workforces to an even greater degree. The global analytics and advice company has these suggestions:

1. Measure employee well-being. How well are you monitoring employee engagement and morale? Surveys can help pinpoint issues like burnout, stress and fear, and help leaders know which issues are the most important to tackle and how.

2. Address work-life balance. Managers should be trained to have conversations about this critical issue with their employees and be able to take action when needed. If your organization wants to be able to recruit and retain quality employees effectively, you’ll need to find a way to address this top concern among American workers today. It’s no longer enough to offer a good working environment from 9 to 5; employees want an employer to help them balance the demands of work and family.

3. Acknowledge the desire for remote work. Employees want flexibility in where and how they work long after the pandemic is over. Those who never worked at home pre-pandemic realized during the outbreak that they liked it and could do their jobs as well as or even better than in the office setting. A number of people don’t want to go back to the office environment. The most effective leaders will offer employees flexibility and resources that support productivity and work-life integration.

4. Understand that everyone’s struggle is different. The COVID-19 outbreak has made it clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to managing people simply doesn’t work. The pandemic, for example, has caused severe financial and personal distress for some households. Working mothers and single parents have often struggled to address tough child-care issues. Some families may have faced severe financial setbacks or grappled with the death of loved ones. Others may have become more concerned with serious diversity, equity and inclusion issues. Is your workplace accepting and supportive of all employees?

5. Be on the lookout for signs of burnout. Now, more than ever, it’s vital that leaders make sure their management team has realistic expectations for employees, that individualized support is available to workers and that each one has a manageable workload and time off to rest and recharge. Being on the lookout for burnout in yourself and those around you. This will be a critical task now and in the years to come.

/by