General Workplace Safety Rules – 2 Templates
The point of having company policies is not just to make sure that employees follow what needs to be done in the office, it also ensures that they are safe from any sort of harm. This is why every company has rules and regulations that protect the safety of their employees. By having these rules, every employee will understand what they have to do and what they should not do in order to maintain a safe working environment. This article is going to focus on the different rules that you can put up for your company so that your employees will understand the concept of safety in the office.
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General office safety rules
If you are going to create rules to ensure the safety of your employees, then be sure to consider the following:
- Employees must report all workplace injuries and illnesses immediately. This is something that should definitely be done to avoid any further complications in the office.
- All employees must report all unsafe acts and conditions to their immediate supervisors. Think of it like a safety report in which you talk about the immediate risks that need to be taken care of. Just remember that you have to point out that employees have to be specific when it comes to making the report so that these problems are seen to easily.
- Firearms, weapons, or explosives are not permitted on company property. This should be pretty obvious considering that all of these things have the potential to harm the lives of those in the office. If you have to, you can even be specific as to what these employees should not bring into the office. You may also see HR Notice Templates
- Any handling of drugs or alcohol within company grounds will be subject to immediate termination. You have to be really strict on this one. Substances that could potentially harm your employees and impede their performance and employee productivity should not be tolerated, at all. So, it is best that if an employee is caught handling these substances, they should be let go to prevent the problem from spreading throughout the company.
- Employees must keep their workplaces clean at all times. Having this rule will not just prevent the workplace from looking messy, it will also ensure that others do not inhale unwanted substances such as foul smells from rotting food or anything similar. A clean workplace is a happy workplace. You may also like HR Report Templates
- Employees must not block any emergency equipment or exits with their belongings. Something like this has to be stated as there are still many employees who make this particular mistake. You have to be sure that all the exits in the building that can help people escape from a potential fire and the equipment that can help save anyone in distress are easily accessible. Otherwise, your company will be charged with a pretty hefty fine should any of these safety precautions not be taken into account.
- Smoking should only be done within the designed “smoking areas” within the company. This kind of rule will depend on the smoking policy of your company. If your company does not allow smoking in general, then the rule has to point out that any kind of smoking is prohibited within company grounds. If you are somewhat lenient on the idea, then the rule should point out that employees can only smoke within certain areas in the company.
- For those employees who are trained to handle simple workplace risks, they must wear and make use of the proper safety gear and equipment. This should include everything such as foot protection, head protection, gloves, vests, and anything else that ensures the safety of the employee. This is a standard rule that every company should have to protect those who are tasked to work in dangerous and unsafe workplace conditions.
- Inspect all general equipment before they are used. This prevents employees from using any equipment that may be damaged to the point where they could be potentially harmful. Also, doing this will help see if there are any pieces of equipment that need to be replaced due to either being obsolete, or no longer repairable.
- Employees must obey all warning signs and barricades that have been set up within the workplace. The purpose of having them in the first place is so that employees will know what they should look out for and where they should not enter, so it should be pretty obvious that they have to obey these signs to prevent themselves from being harmed.
- Unless the employee is trained, he or she must not engage in any task that may cause potential injuries. Although there are some employees who are willing to help out with problems in the workplace, they are more likely to become a liability than an asset should they work on anything that they are not trained to do. So, if there is a maintenance problem with one of the company’s machines, be sure that only employees who have had the proper corporate training are the ones who will handle the job.
- Playing around with company equipment or property is strictly prohibited. You do not want to see your employees messing around with the company fire extinguisher simply because they find it funny, right? You have to make sure that this rule is clear so that all employees will know that messing around with company property or equipment may just end up with them losing their jobs. You may also see HR Strategy Templates
- If an employee catches a co-worker violating any of the company rules, these people must be reported immediately. A rule like this will definitely help guarantee that everyone within the company will follow the regulations that you have set up in the workplace. Make sure that this rule tells the employees that they have to be as specific as possible so that any employee report that they submit can be used to easily investigate the accusation.
Workplace safety tips that every employee should know
These tips will help make sure that employees will contribute to a safe working environment:
1. Be aware of your surroundings
Employees have to know about the different risks that involve their job so that they can take the necessary precautions to avoid them. If there are any risks that seem to be too much to handle, then being aware will help them report these problems to the proper authorities within the professional company to ensure that they are taken care of as soon possible.
2. Take regular breaks
Employers may not know this, but many workplace-related injuries occur because employees are too tired to actually notice them or to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves. By making them take their regular breaks, it helps guarantee that they are fresh on the job. As long as they are able to take a breather or two, then they should be able to handle problems that come their way with ease. You may also like HR Appraisal Forms
3. Only do what you are trained to do
Although this has already been said, it cannot be stressed enough that only employees who are trained to handle certain problems in the workplace are the ones who should actually be working on them. This is to prevent any unnecessary injuries from happening, and it ensures that workplace problems are taken care of in a professional manner. You may also see HR Timesheet Templates
Why are workplace rules important?
While this may be obvious to some, the reason why we need workplace rules is to guarantee that every employee understands what has to be done in order to maintain a safe and healthy working environment for everyone. If everyone were to follow these rules, then there should be no problems in the professional office.
However, it also depends on the kind of rules that those with authority decide to create. If a rule is too vague, then general employees may not be able to understand what it is they should or should not do. Those who come up with the rules within the workplace must understand that safety is always a top priority. Also, there must be a strict form of punishment for anyone who decides not to follow these rules. Without consequences, there would be no point to the rules as nobody will be willing to follow them. So, these punishments can range from a verbal warning to immediate employee termination depending on the severity of the offense. Just make sure to clearly state that in the rules.
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