What Millennial Entrepreneurs Need to Know About Work Injury Problems
Everything is getting ready, the excitement is there, your head is all over the place… The grand opening of your business and becoming a millennial entrepreneur is not a joke!
But we all know how messy it can get (well, not all of us, but you get the point). You have to think about every little detail, it is your first time doing something that big after all.
In such a chaos, chances are that you are probably going to forget about something. And if that something turns out to be an important thing, you are most likely going to be in trouble later on.
Millennial entrepreneurs, especially new ones, tend to overlook the importance of health and safety plan.
It is your duty and responsibility to take care of your employees’ safety at their job, especially if their job practice involves some risky actions. Some of the most absurd workplace hazards have happened out of nowhere, and some workplaces that are very risky can pass through ages without an injury.
It is better to invest your time into developing a good and efficient strategy of dealing with occupational hazards, then letting an accident cost your business a ton.
Above that, it is not only your obligation as an ethical and moral human being, but it is also your duty regulated by law.
Don’t let the lack of experience to put you in unnecessary trouble. Here are some of the actions that you can undertake to minimize the chances of accidents in your workplace.
Start with a list
For a first-time entrepreneur, remember that lists are going to be your best friends.
Your schedule is probably going a bit wild, as now everything depends on you. Writing things down is going to help you recall your memory, therefore remember to write all of your tasks down immediately.
Make a list of all the things you need in your office, of all the tasks, and also make a list of all the safety signs that you can incorporate in your team’s everyday business life.
Of course, don’t make your office look like a designer flea market, but include all the important signs.
Most basic ones are probably signs for emergency exit, stairs, and fire extinguisher. And you want to keep those around.
But not only that kind of safety is what should be of your concern. Think health! Healthy employees equal content employees, and we all know that without contentment there is no productivity.
Take active participation in your employees’ health.
Even though it may sound even a little childish, signs that remind people about washing their hands are more than a real deal.
Otherwise, people forget. And the next thing you know is that 7 out of 10 employees are on sick leave.
Safety statement
While it is obvious that some work environments and practices are way riskier than others, the truth is that you can never predict exactly every hazard that could happen.
Mines and constructions can go many months and years without a single injury, while fatal hazards can happen in the coziness of an office chair.
The thing is, you just cannot know what kind of things, until they happen.
Safety statement and risk assessment is something that you want to have in your office, even before the grand opening.
In this statement, you have to write all the potential hazards that can happen with certain work practices. You also have to describe what is the correct way of using the equipment, and how those accidents can be minimized.
The tricky part is that your safety statement has to be aligned with local safety regulations, therefore you have to be very well informed about it.
If you think that it is maybe too much on your plate, you can always seek help and advice from an experienced medical negligence solicitor in your area.
Urgent times call for urgent measures

The most important thing when an accident occurs is your reaction.
Preventing any injuries from happening is not a realistic picture. But your response to the situation is what counts.
Priority in such case must always be the well-being of the injured party. Non-adequate reaction to employee’s injury can lead you to some serious trouble.
People, when put in an unpredictable risky situation, can behave very… Unpredictably. Therefore, the best would be to put up all the signs regarding emergency exits, stairs, and fire extinguisher.
You don’t want to end up with a feeling of remorse, and with a question mark if you actually did all you could.
Get your team included
Setting a tone in a workplace about a specific subject is very important.
Your employees cannot be a part of the safety culture in your office if you haven’t included them. Do not be afraid to tell them the importance of it, not only for you but even more for them.
Also, give them a chance to participate in spreading that safety culture within your business. Include them in important decision making.
That way they will know exactly what they are complying to and it will be easier for them to tune in to one another, as well.
Conclusion
Safety is a very important part of every work environment, but you can always go overboard, which is only a waste of resources. And it can make you seem like you do not really know what you are doing.
That is why risk assessment is also very important because you do not want to end up wasting money and time on protecting your workplace from a bacteria, for example, that does not even exist.
There is a right measure for everything, and so is for securing your employees and your office.
In the end, you cannot really lean on your safety system with 100% trust.
Human factor plays a great role in emergency situations, and it has to be taken seriously. That is why you always have to be ready to change, test and modify your safety measures.
About The Author
Alexander Hunkin is an Australian based startup advisor with in-depth experience in growing business. His meaningful and strategic pieces of advice have helped in setting and growing many startup companies in Brisbane and Perth. At the moment he is working with NSW Compensation Lawyers.