Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog
It’s National Preparedness Month and officials with the National Safety Council (NSC) have teamed up with Staples to make sure that small businesses have a plan and the resources to handle an emergency.
Now, employers can check out the Safety Research Center website at Staples.com for safety tips on how to handle common emergencies and every day safety issues. The website also provides small companies with a number of health and safety-related products and inforomation.
According to a recent survey conducted by Staples, about half of all office workers say that they’re not sure if an emergency plan even exists at their company or they say they know there’s no such plan in place.
Our Dedham workers’ compensation lawyers understand that preparation is key in preventing work-related accidents, injuries and fatalities. This includes having a plan for reacting to dangers and risks. Bob Risk, the Senior Strategic Safety, Health and Wellness Manager for Staples, says that it’s critical that all companies, and especially small companies, have a plan constructed and communicated to workers on how to handle emergency events. It’s also important that they have the right safety supplies on hand to help to make sure that everyone is protected. Unfortunately, this is oftentimes an area of workplace safety that is overlooked by employers. The truth of the matter is that you have to be ready for all kinds of dangers.
Each and every year, the federal government issues approximately 70 disaster declarations. This means that hundreds of communities, families and companies face an unexpected disruption and hardship each year. It’s important that we’re all ready for these disaster declarations and we can all effectively react if needed.
“Good preparation includes designing an emergency action plan,” said Janet Froetscher, the CEO and President of the NSC.
The Insurance Information Institute reports that close to 40 percent of companies that are affected by natural or man-made disasters never reopen their doors for business. To help the little guys, or our nation’s small business, officials are assisting with the creation of an effective preparedness plan:
-Make an emergency plan, including evacuation and preparations. Be sure to include phone numbers, those trained in first-aid, safe location head counts, etc.
-Create an emergency kit with basic survival needs. This should include flashlights, dust masks, batteries, radios, important documents, etc.
-Back up data on all computers.
-Practice and enforce these plans on a regular basis.
-Encourage workers to get training in emergency response training.
Make sure that your place of work is ready for all kinds of disasters. You don’t want to wait too long. It’s important to have these plans in place before a natural or man-made disaster hits.
The workers’ compensation attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers are here to offer free and confidential consultations to those who have been injured on the job. Call (617) 777-7777 today!
More Blog Entries:
Boston Convenience Stores: A Dangerous Place to Work, Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, September 18, 2012
New Program With Millions for Workplace Safety, Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, September 11, 2012