60 SECONDS ON BUSINESS
Safety, security vital for employees

By Dr. Drake Beil
President, Solutions Inc.

Gary is a manager at a mid-sized company by the airport. He and his team regularly handle huge shipments of business equipment and work with heavy machinery. They are always doing seminars and programs on how to lift things and how to avoid back injury. They are always cleaning. Their warehouse and staging areas are virtually spotless.

Clean work areas and well-maintained delivery bays are essential to their operations, and so are clearly written practices and frequent reminders to keep thinking about safety.

The mental and physical health, safety and security issues of employees at the workplace are more important than ever. A safer workplace translates into fewer legal hassles, lower workers' comp premiums and greater productivity.

What training programs does your company have to prevent physical injury? Is there back injury prevention training or an injured worker program? Are there programs to deal with a stranger on premises?

How about mental health? What training programs does your company have to prevent psychological injury such as sexual harassment or age discrimination? Does your company have wellness or stress-management programs available? Does your company have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to address personal problems before they become workplace problems?

The Hawaii Psychological Association can help. Visit the HPA Web site and check out the Healthy Workplace information.

Reach Dr. Drake Beil at drake@60secondsonbusiness.