Burns are a common occupational hazard in many industries, ranging from food service to construction. But these injuries can be serious and costly, and taking steps to prevent them is always better than needing to respond to them after the fact.
Learn how to prevent burns in the workplace from WorkSafe, an occupational health clinic serving Wichita, KS.
1. Understand Burn Hazards in Your Workplace
You can’t prevent burns in the workplace unless you understand all of the potential burn hazards throughout your work environment. Start by conducting a hazard assessment to look for potential risks of heat-related injuries. These might include:
- Hot surfaces
- Hot liquids and chemicals
- Electrical sources
- Radiation and sun exposure
Your workers may face the risk of different burn types across different types of materials and hazards. For example, many organizations that require employees to work outside overlook the risk of sunburn. Chemical burns are also a significant hazard; certain chemicals like bleach, battery acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonia can all cause burns when they come into contact with the skin and tissue.
2. Supply the Necessary Personal Protective Equipment
As an employer, you are responsible for identifying and providing the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect workers against injuries. If your workplace has burn risks, you may need to provide such gear as:
- Flame-resistant clothing
- Gloves
- Aprons
- Face shields
- Goggles
Employees should not be responsible for purchasing or supplying their own PPE.
3. Train Workers on Burn Prevention Measures
You can only do so much to prevent employees from experiencing burns. Another important way to prevent burns in the workplace is to ensure that employees know how to keep themselves and their coworkers safe.
Conduct regular training on burn safety protocols. Workers should know exactly how to perform the necessary tasks in your organization without risking burns or any other injuries.
Part of this training should include creating and teaching employees an emergency response plan that they can follow in the event that they or a coworker experiences a burn. This plan may include steps like:
- Cooling the burn under cool, not cold, water for several minutes
- Alerting supervisors
- Assessing the severity of the burn
- Seeking medical treatment
Taking these steps could help mitigate the effects of the burn injury.
4. Warn Workers About Hot Surfaces and Materials
Placing the appropriate signage throughout your workplace could also help prevent burns. Any equipment, materials, or items in your organization that can become hot should have signs nearby warning workers and visitors.
Your employees should also get into the habit of verbally telling their coworkers when they have recently used equipment that is still hot. Creating a system to identify hazardous materials can help prevent workers from overlooking potential dangers.
5. Enforce Safe Operating Procedures
Providing personal protective equipment and training workers on the proper ways to operate machinery in your business is not enough to prevent burns in the workplace. You need to ensure that workers follow safe operating procedures and strictly adhere to your safety protocols.
This may involve monitoring workers for signs that they are misusing equipment or improperly wearing safety gear. It may also involve conducting random hazard audits and penalizing employees who fail to follow protocols. While this may feel like overkill, it’s essential to protecting workers and maintaining a safe workplace.
6. Keep Your Workplace Clean and Organized
Even workplaces that do not regularly encounter burn risks should still take measures to prevent fires from starting. Generally, environments that are cluttered and disorganized have a higher risk of fires than ones that are clean and in order. This is especially true if your organization regularly uses flammable materials, such as gasoline, acetone, propane, or aerosol products.
For workplaces that use equipment generating heat or flames, it is also crucial to keep all unnecessary materials away to prevent fires from starting. This may also include cleaning and dusting surfaces regularly to prevent debris from catching fire.
WorkSafe Can Help You Prevent and Manage Workplace Injuries
Knowing how to prevent burns in the workplace can help you maintain a safer work environment and avoid unnecessary downtime. At WorkSafe, we understand that work injuries cost time and money. We have over 20 years of experience helping employers manage and prevent work injuries.
Allow us to create a customized plan to mitigate the risk of burns and other injuries and respond properly when they do occur. Contact WorkSafe today at 316-262-8800 to request a free, no-obligation call. Then, learn about common firefighting injuries that our team can help prevent.