If you’re going to be spending the majority of your waking hours at work, it’s worth it to ensure that the place you’re working at is going to protect you and your physical and mental health. However, many people don’t feel like their employer or place of business is doing all they can to assist in this area. If you’ve been wondering if the place that you’re working in is actually safe for you to stay employed at, here are three ways to determine if your workplace is a safe working environment.
They Talk About Workplace Safety
Generally, if a workplace isn’t worried about being safe or even appearing to be safe, they usually won’t talk about workplace safety at all. Rather, they’ll sweep any and all issues under the rug and pretend like nothing bad could happen.
On the other hand, if you work in a place where workplace safety is discussed regularly, there’s a very good likelihood that your employer is actually worried about the safety of you as workers. So if you’ve noticed that the company you’re working for has spoken about things like the environment, health and safety, or security of its staff and facilities, there’s a good chance that your workplace is a safe one to continue working at.
Preventative Measures Are In Place
While it’s good for your employer to take things seriously when health hazards and other issues arise, what you really want them to be focused on is avoiding these types of problems in the first place.
Things like physical dangers, health issues, illness, injury, and even death can all happen as a result of an unsafe work environment. So if you see that your workplace is taking preventative steps to reduce the likelihood of something like that happening at their facilities, this is a sign that your employer is committed to keeping people safe. Some of these measures might include things like doing proper training, keeping safety signs up, and more.
You’re Comfortable Bringing Up Issues You Have
It’s not only your physical safety that you should be concerned with. You should also be trying to determine if you feel safe and comfortable emotionally at your place of business.
In some companies, the culture is so toxic that employees are afraid to bring up any problems they’re having to their bosses. But when this happens, no progress can be made. So if you feel that you’re comfortable talking to your boss and sharing issues that you see within the company without fear of retaliation or other negative consequences, you’ve likely found a safe work environment.
If you’re unsure what makes a work environment safe or unsafe for you, consider how the environments mentioned above can help you determine if you’re working in a safe place.