A safe and healthy workplace is a basic human right, but according to International Labor Organization estimates, around 2.3 million women and men worldwide die each year as a result of work-related accidents or diseases; this equates to almost 6000 deaths every day. Every year, there are approximately 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million casualties of work-related illnesses worldwide. Why aren't businesses doing anything to reduce these figures? Is it really so difficult for businesses to safeguard the safety of their most important asset, their workforce, the element that keeps their business running?
When it comes to workplace safety mismanagement, businesses are always ready with arguments to justify their negligence. These excuses have been repeated so many times in the past that, due to the illusory truth effect, they have begun to function as the plausible explanation for why something is the way it is. In this piece, we will look at two such justifications that have evolved into myths through time. So, without any further ado, let's begin.
1st Common Excuse — It’s Impossible To Create A Workplace That Is Risk-Free
Muhammad Ali, one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures of the 20th century, once said:
“Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion”
So, if someone asserts that a work is impossible to complete, it is only real in his opinion. It is true by him because he lacked the ability to carry out that work. If you believe you can do it, you will be able to do it. Here is a four-point plan that you may use to safeguard the safety of your employees.
1. Deal with any potential threat with high handedness
2. Prefer visual safety messages over verbal safety messages. Use warning mats or tapes or other signage for the purpose.
3. Make sure that all workers are properly trained
4. Ensure that workers have the proper equipment. Co-founder and current chief technology officer of 360 med care, Brad Miles, once said:
“We don’t work in a dangerous environment. We work in a hazardous environment that we make dangerous by not following safe work procedures and wearing our PPE.”
2nd common excuse – Ensuring workplace safety is an expensive endeavor.
Though this hypothesis can be proved incorrect on various grounds, we will provide some instances to demonstrate how inexpensive this procedure can be.
Use of warning mats or tapes to send visual safety messages: Prior to the creation of warning mats and tapes, businesses relied on paintings to convey visual safety messages. This option proved ineffective for their needs because it required continual maintenance to assure its functionality. Furthermore, painting was an additional expense because a professional was paid to do it. With their introduction into the sphere of occupational safety, warning mats and tapes altered the entire picture. They solved all of the challenges that businesses had with paintings by making its application simple and inexpensive. They were tough enough to get the job done. Furthermore, if applied properly, detectable warning tape can serve its goal of notifying workers for an extremely long time.

Ensuring workplace safety reduces accidents and the costs associated with these mishaps: According to the Employees' Compensation Act of 1923, the following information will tell you of how much you will be paid as compensation in the event of an accident at your workplace.
Type of disability caused due to the workplace accident Compensation
Permanent Total Disability A minimum of ₹140,000 or 60% of the employee's monthly income multiplied by a figure based on the employee's probable future earnings.
Permanent Partial Disability The amount of compensation is determined by the nature of the injury and the employee's loss of earning potential. The Act includes a schedule of potential permanent disability injuries as well as a list of lost earning capability.
Temporary Disability Every two weeks, the injured worker will receive 25% of his or her income, bringing the monthly compensation to 50% of total earned wages.
Death The compensation payable on death is ₹120,000, or the amount that would be half the worker’s monthly wage multiplied by a factor based on the employee’s potential future earnings.

Given that you would have realised by now how much money your company will lose if one of your employees is injured at your workplace. So, let us conclude this article with some insightful comments from Anne M. Mulcahy, creator of Xerox Corporation.
“Employees are a company’s greatest asset”
Therefore, protect this asset of yours by providing them with the safety of a hazard-free workplace.
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