The United States is one of the largest producers of natural gas on a global scale. In 2016, the U.S. extracted almost 750 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Throughout these natural gas extraction jobs, however, safety, though important, isn’t nearly emphasized as much as it should be.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Organization (OSHA), workplace injuries cost U.S. businesses more than $1 billion per week (roughly $60 billion per year). Along with these injuries and compensation expenses, the cost of non-compliance is rising as well. Because of this, OSHA, in an effort to improve plant safety, profitability, and productivity, has nearly doubled its maximum penalties for willful or reported violations — from $70,000 to $124,709.
Quartz states that whether you’re a manager, business owner, or supervisor, there are important steps to be made in order to improve workplace safety and keep everyone safe:
- Recognize the importance of safety in any work environment — Clearly, workplace injuries can negatively impact both employees and employers alike, so it’s essential that an organization takes a look at every possible situation that could potentially lead to an injury.
- Identify and understand current safety performance methods — Reverting back to safety manuals and health documents is a good start for businesses to better understand their current safety standings.
- Take immediate action if those methods are unfit — Even if an organization is deemed rather safe, there are always improvements that can be made. Taking a look at every possible aspect of organizational safety and taking action is necessary for companywide safety.
Another way to improve workplace safety is to focus on individual attentiveness for every single employee. Encouraging employees to do something as simple as eating a healthy meal can improve alertness and workplace productivity. Unfortunately, not too many businesses implement any kind of workplace meal encouragement. In fact, studies show that less than 20% of American workers regularly take time for a “real lunch break.”
“Most of spend nine hours a day at work, and if during that time we’re making unhealthy food and drink choices it’s going catch up with us,” said Conor Reynolds, Director at Snackwize. “Most people think that the trick to eating well at work is learning to resist temptation, but you’re fighting a losing battle. Workplaces have the power to make healthy eating a priority for their staff and the more convenient option.”
Reynolds adds that a quality business, no matter what industry it’s involved in, should provide dedicated lunch areas for employees to step away from their actual job duties and enjoy their meals. Additionally, healthier and more convenient snack food options should be readily available for all employees as well.
“In a lot of ways, healthy eating starts with healthy snacking,” he added.
From unhealthy eating and slips, trips, and falls, to gas hazards and heavy equipment malfunctions, it’s essential that workplace safety remains at the top of every organization’s priority list.