Did you know that a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds? That adds up to 4.64 million workplace injuries in the United States each year, according to the National Safety Council. Research also suggests that almost all these injuries are preventable. Conducting a safety audit is a proactive step you can take to reduce the risk of accidents at your convenience store.
When to Conduct Safety Audits
Ideally, you should do comprehensive workplace safety audits semi-annually or annually. More focused audits may be triggered by specific events. For example, you way want to audit your procedures for severe weather preparedness, heat illness prevention, and cold stress prevention as the seasons change. Most companies also audit certain procedures after an accident occurs.
How to Conduct Safety Audits
Effective safety audits should be a combination of both formal and informal reviews of safety practices at your store. Evaluate your accident record to determine what hazards put your employees most at risk. Take a look at the revision dates on your safety policies and procedures. Even if a policy seems to be effective, you should still review it regularly to make sure it meets the latest compliance regulations and industry standards. Involve your staff in the audit process. Ask employees for honest feedback about what tasks feel the most risky or when they may have had or seen close calls where accidents were narrowly avoided. Conducting a safety audit is about your employees’ well-being, so involving them in the process just makes sense.
What To Do After a Safety Audit
If your workplace safety audit finds issues, take action immediately. Train your staff on the basics of workplace safety as well as the specific problem areas the audit uncovered. Even if your audit finds no safety issues, don’t think you’re off the hook. Safety training must be a consistent part of your convenience store training program. Start with online training, then follow up with on-the-job training and regular refresher training. A blended approach is always more effective than employees just attending a training meeting or completing a course online. Always be on the lookout for behavior related to workplace safety. Recognize and reward your staff for safe practices, and coach employees when you see something unsafe.
Convenience Store Safety Training
At Ready Training Online, we’re committed to helping you provide a safe workplace for your employees. Our robust library of convenience store training courses includes important safety modules, including our newly released modules on box cutter safety and heat illness prevention, as well as essential safety training on fuel spill preparedness, robbery prevention, and general convenience store safety.
