If you work in the material handling industry in the United States (or any country for that matter) then there is a good chance,not a day goes by when you do not hear about forklift safety or material handling procedures. There is a good reason for that too. The material handling business is one where you can afford no complacency since you are working with big heavy machinery and loads all the time. In fact, at the time of the invention of forklifts back at the beginning of the 20th century, there were so many accidents that business owners contemplated not using them at all.
However, as time progressed regulatory authorities stepped in with better and safer operational requirements, which led to a decrease in accidents and loss of life. Yet even today, there are plenty of forklift accidents, 95,000 to be exact, which took place in the United States alone in 2016. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have increased safety requirements;impose heavy fees and penalties for those who fail to enforce them.
Yet, even as manufacturers come up with better and safer machinery to use for on-site operations, for example, the Moffett truck mounted forklifts.It is up to the business owners to realize that failing to enforce proper safety procedures in the workplace not only puts the lives of their employees at risk but also diminishes the performance and efficiency of the business. Let us take a look at how proper and poor forklift safety can positively or negatively affect performance in the workplace and impact employee morale along with the efficiency of operations and output.
Effects of Poor Safety on Workplace Performance
Enforcing poor safety standards leads to more accidents, which can cause loss of property as well as loss of life. The OSHA estimates that there are over 95,000 forklift-related accidents all across the United States every year with 35,000 accidents claiming the lives of employees, and most are serious or fatal. So let us look at what poor safety standard enforcement can do to a business and its employees:
Reputational Damage
If poor safety standards are followed then there will be more accidents, which will reflect poorly on the image of the business in front of clients. Imagine you are a client looking to hire a company to move your material from one place to another. Would you trust a company with keeping your raw material safe when they cannot even keep their own employees safe? As such, there would be less business and reputation would suffer.
Drop in Employee Morale
More accidents lead to more conflict and a drop in employee morale. Employees would think twice before applying to join the company and the existing employees would feel disheartened with the recurring incidents. This would negatively affect the performance and output of the business. To avoid this, more and more businesses are opting for safer machinery such as Moffett equipment, which is famous for providing sufficient security for operators, given that one purchases them from reliable retailers such as Bobby Park Truck & Equipment.
Heavy Fines and Penalties
The more problems with safety a business has, the more OSHA will take notice. Failure to follow OSHA approved safety procedures would not only lead to heavy fines and penalties but also may cause the business to shut down. The threat of layoff for employees would make performance and efficiency in the workplace suffer. Not only this, the business would keep incurring more and more costs every time.
Effect of Proper Safety on Workplace Performance
Now let us compare the effects of poor safety procedure implementation with the effects of proper safety procedures.
Smoother Operations
The fewer incidents there are, the better employees would work and better the operations would run. Better safety provision for employees in the workplace would not only boost the efficiency and performance but also lead to greater profits for the business itself.
That is why it is essential to use machinery that gives you the best chance of achieving proper safety measures such as Moffett fork trucks that come equipped with the latest and most advanced safety features which prevent forklift accidents and protect operators in case if one takes place.
Better Employee Morale
The safer employees feel, the better their morale would be and the better they would perform in the workplace. This would not only be beneficial for the business itself but also lead to motivation for employees to work harder and earn bonuses. Moreover, better safety procedures would attractbetter-skilled employees that would enhance the reputation of the business and improve performance as well.
These were just some of the impacts of proper and poor safety procedure implementation on workplace performance and efficiency.
