It’s easy to imagine that the majority of injuries are caused by heavy machinery or participation in “dangerous” jobs. Actually, the opposite is true. Slips, trips and falls; improper lifting; and poor ergonomics are by far the biggest culprits when it comes to work-loss injuries, regardless of industry.

It doesn’t sound that scary, but slipping in an icy parking lot, wrenching your back while wrangling a box or falling off your desk as you’re trying to change a lightbulb can have serious consequences, including missing weeks of work. The good news? Common safety issues tend to be preventable by using common sense.

In this section of the site, you’ll find tips, videos, quizzes, checklists and more to help you improve workplace safety by eliminating the most common causes of workplace injury across a variety of industries and jobs. For training and programs specific to your company, give Montana State Fund a call at 800-332-6102.

CREATE A SAFETY CULTURE

Building a culture where people hold each other accountable and work collectively to make their workplaces safer is a foundation for injury reduction at work. Here are three steps to get you on your way.

1. Start a Safety Committee: An empowered, safety committee that meets regularly is key to a culture of safety. It creates accountability, involves employees in safety decisions and helps you uncover issues that might not be brought to management’s attention otherwise.

2. New Employee Safety Orientations: Every new employee gets an orientation for her benefits, the employee manual, even the computer server folder structure. Yet, many companies don’t include general safety orientations for new employees. Including safety in your orientations ensures that new employees know you care and that safety is important to your company. It gets them off to a safe start.

3. Clear Injury Reporting Protocol: A structured program to ensure injuries are reported helps prevent them from lingering, which can slow healing time and lead to increased work loss. Your process for reporting workplace injuries should be clear and known by every employee and manager, not just the folks in HR.

GOT YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED WORKERS?

Young workers are inexperienced workers. That presents a unique opportunity for employers.