Addressing Safety Issues in the Workplace: How to Do it Professionally
Safety issues at work
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), preventable workplace deaths increased by 3% in 2023, totaling 4,543 fatalities. For those working in manufacturing, construction, aviation and distribution & logistics, addressing safety concerns in the workplace can mean preventing serious injuries. For employers, creating a safe workplace isn’t only their responsibility, it’s also how they build a better company culture.
Why is workplace safety important?
Ensuring a safe work environment benefits employers in several ways, but it mainly prioritizes the health and safety of the team.
Preventing workplace injuries should be the main goal of any health and safety program. However, establishing or improving a safety program comes with other benefits. The Occupational Safety and Health and Administration (OSHA) states that employers who focus on identifying workplace safety issues to create a safer workplace often experience improvements in productivity, morale and retention.
By highlighting the importance of safety and offering the proper training, employers can create an employee-friendly culture according to the American Society of Safety Professionals.
What are the common safety issues in the workplace?
OSHA reported that these are some of the most common workplace safety hazards in the year of 2021:
1. Fall protection
In industries like construction, falls from height are at the top of the list hazard wise. These include falls from edges of structures, ladders and scaffolds.
2. Forklifts and Other Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT)
If you drive a forklift, know where pedestrians are and be on the lookout at all times as well particularly at the end of aisles or in places where illumination levels or noise impede an operator’s ability to be aware of your presence.
3. Hazard Communication
The identities and hazards of chemicals must be clearly communicated and understandable to workers.
4. Respiratory Protection
Workers must be protected from harmful dusts, fogs, gases and vapors and employers must provide the proper personal protective equipment.
5. Machine Guarding
Workers should be protected from moving machine parts. Any machine part or process must be safeguarded.
Why do workers avoid reporting safety concerns?
Failure to report safety concerns, like those listed above, is one of the direst issues in the workplace. This hesitancy to voice their safety concerns address workplace safety issues impacts both full-time and temporary workers, but temporary workers may feel they have more to risk by highlighting safety issues. Temporary workers may fear retaliation in terms of their employment status and getting hired for a permanent job.
This hesitancy can also be found in full-time workers who may feel that reporting a safety issue could get them fired. According to the NCS, workers may also feel the process to report concerns is too complicated or they may not want to be seen as a “complainer”.
Additionally, language barriers can prevent workers from reporting a workplace safety issue. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 8.3 percent of U.S. citizens speak English “less than very well”. This can make workers, who may not feel comfortable enough speaking English, hesitant to voice their safety concerns.
How to professionally address safety concerns in the workplace
Addressing safety concerns in the workplace shouldn’t be a complicated process. Here are a few tips on how you can highlight a safety concern in the workplace professionally.
1. Immediately report any concerns to a supervisor, human resources and/or safety team first
2. Temporary or contract workers can also report the issue to their recruiter or staffing agency.
3. File a complaint with OSHA
4. If a language barrier is present, contact OSHA at 800-321-OSHA
5. Be calm and avoid approaching management in a threatening manner
When you need to report safety issues at work, you’ll likely have access to several resources. Explore all your options until a solution is found.
Reporting safety issues at work shouldn’t be a complicated or intimidating process. By keeping calm and knowing who to speak to when workplace safety issues arise, you can voice your concern professionally.