Workplace emergency and accidents education and training are necessary for any business owner with employees. Workplace accidents are costly for companies. Besides causing lost work hours, workplace accidents also often cause an increase in insurance. In addition, you need an education in workplace accidents laws and regulations to ensure that someone does not take advantage of the company.

Education and training in workplace emergency plans is also critical. Lawsuits may occur from improper actions on behalf of the company during an emergency such as a gas leak or fire. Be sure that all employees are aware of procedures to follow during emergency situations. The following options exist for increasing workplace emergency and accidents education and training:

1. Seminars offer information pertaining to laws, regulations, prevention practices, and insurance for workplace accidents and emergencies.

2. Training resources in workplace accidents allow business owners to ensure that they meet employee rights and prevent lawsuits.

3. Emergency planning resources offer advice and tips on creating plans for workplace emergencies.

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Attend seminars to gain more information about workplace accidents and emergencies.

Seminars offer a variety of workplace emergency and accidents education and training. Learn about accident and emergency insurance, safety precautions, and evacuation plans. In addition, some seminars offer training for completing and filing accident claims.

I recommend: Find workplace safety seminars from the website at Safety. Train-Up also offers online training seminars pertaining to workplace accidents and how to prevent them from happening.

Gain info from online articles for business owners about workplace accidents

Informational articles are another way to gain an education about workplace accidents and workplace accident prevention. Articles offer tips, news, and prevention methods. Some articles feature workplace accident insurance offers from companies. Look in business owner magazines for articles of this type.

I recommend: Buzzle features an article that teaches employers more about accidents in the workplace and how to prevent them from happening. All Business also has an article about workplace accidents.

Search for help in creating workplace emergency response plans

Workplace emergency plans are important for all business types. They protect employees as well as consumers at a business. Emergency plans offer information on specific actions to carry out in case of emergencies in the workplace such as fire, gas leak, terrorists, and storm. Business owners inform all employees of each plan. In most cases, owners display plans in the building.

I recommend: Learn more information about workplace emergency procedures for the workplace from Safe Workplace. HR Tools also details workplace emergency action plans according to recommendations from OSHA.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When considering workplace emergency and accidents education and training, consider learning about appropriate delegation of duties. In each case, owners should select one employee to be responsible for duties such as evacuation, filing paperwork, and notifying authorities.

Workplace emergencies and accidents can happen anywhere. This should concern business owners because such incidents can result in increased insurance premium costs. Accidents in the workplace can also decrease your revenue, with the increased potential for liabilities that can really affect your business' cash flow.

It's important to implement emergency procedures for the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalizes businesses that do not observe federal workplace safety rules. Financial penalties for non compliance range from $5,000 to $70,000. Even if you are a small business with only one employee, you must adhere to federal OSHA requirements. The safety standards you must follow vary, however, depending on your industry.

In order to reduce the incidence of emergencies in the workplace you should:

1. Develop a sound safety plan to prevent and properly cope with accidents in the workplace.

2. Provide your employees with the tools necessary to provide first aid for workplace emergencies and accidents.

3. Purchase the necessary products to handle a chemical spill or other hazardous material accident.

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Create a formal safety policy to help reduce emergencies in the workplace

Having a safety policy in place for your business creates a foundation for the safety program you establish. Making sure that each employee understands what you expect of him dramatically reduces the incidence of workplace accidents. Even if you choose to discuss your workplace safety policy with all of your employees at one time, a written safety policy is something your workers can always refer to for clarification.

I recommend: The Workplace Safety Store offers software specifically designed for the development of customized accident prevention and workplace emergency action plans. Zeraware specializes in software for managing workplace safety plans, determining the root cause of accidents for future prevention and tracking and documenting workplace accidents.

Equip your employees with the ability to respond to minor workplace accidents

Relatively minor injuries, like minor burns and cuts, can occur in virtually any workplace. Although most employers require employees to see a doctor in the event of an accident, you must, according to OSHA, provide easily accessible first aid supplies for your workers.

I recommend: CPR Savers and First Aid Supply, a wholesaler, can meet all your first aid supply needs. They sell eye wash stations, CPR kits, defibrillators and well-stocked first aid kits for the workplace. National Safety Compliance features first aid products that meet OSHA specifications.

Prepare for workplace emergency and accidents caused by hazardous materials

Hazardous materials, including chemicals, volatile cleaning compounds and combustible substances, can cause serious injury to your employees and your business property. While a sound safety plan can prevent unnecessary chemical spills and other accidental releases of hazardous materials, you must have the proper equipment to properly handle such workplace accidents.

I recommend: Best Value Supply, Inc. sells a variety of Hazmat spill kits. Dawg, Inc. offers a good selection of products for emergency preparedness in the workplace, including oil spill kits and spill absorbents and neutralizers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As part of your workplace emergency response plan, make sure your employees know to notify a manager immediately following an on the job injury or illness, and that employees explicitly follow safety procedures outlined in the company's safety policy.

Workplace accidents can occur in any business or industry. In the event of a workplace emergency or accident, the most important thing is to ensure the safety of the injured or at-risk employees. But as a business owner, it's also vital to know how to handle insurance claims, incident investigations, and employee competence inquiries.

There is a lot of terminology specialized to workplace accidents and emergencies. As a business owner, you need to understand key terms related to dealing with workplace accidents to better negotiate the insurance, compensation, and investigative processes that follow a workplace accident.

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Due diligence

Due diligence is a legal term used in many types of investigations. In relation to workplace accidents and emergencies, due diligence indicates that the supervisor or manager in charge has taken all appropriate and necessary steps to ensure employee safety.

I recommend: Diversified Risk Management explains the responsibility of supervisors or managers to take workplace due diligence to prevent accidents and offers training courses and resources.

Employer liability

Employer liability is a concept wherein the employer is responsible for providing employees with a safe and secure workplace environment and respecting the employee's rights to basic safety and health.

I recommend: Jackson Lewis explains that employer liability is limited to work done within the scope of an employee's job duties.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is a division of the United States Department of Labor that guarantees safer and healthier work environments by enforcing safety standards and hazard regulations for all businesses.

I recommend: OSHA's official website explains its mission and how its regulations help eliminate the possibility of workplace emergencies and accidents.

Bureau of Workers Compensation

The Bureau of Workers Compensation is an organization that provides medical and financial assistance to individuals injured in workplace accidents or emergencies and also assists employers in filing insurance claims and incident reports.

I recommend: The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation explains its mission, the rights of injured workers and the responsibilities of employers in the event of a workplace accident or emergency.

Hazard awareness

Hazard awareness is the understanding of certain workplace hazards involving machinery, equipment or chemicals and how to avoid such hazards by handling these items properly and safely.

I recommend: This article from Cryogas International explains the importance of hazard awareness to prevent workplace accidents or emergencies.

Incident investigation

Incident investigation is the process of examining the events leading up to a workplace accident and determining the cause. Some companies have official incident investigation protocol, but it's important to have an incident investigation plan for reporting and insurance purposes.

I recommend: OSHA Online provides resources for employers to help them comply with OSHA's regulations for incident investigation following a workplace accident or emergency.