How I Make Safety a Priority on my Wood Flooring Job Sites

Q . My guys don't seem to take safety seriously on the job site. As the company owner, I know I'm liable for them if something happens. What can I do?

A . As a wood flooring business owner, you are always looking for ways to make more money, but if your best installer is injured, he'll be on the couch recovering rather than out on the job site making you money. Many hardwood flooring business owners overlook providing a safe work environment as a means to increase revenue. Even a minor injury, such as a pulled back muscle from improper lifting, can mean money out of your pocket.

Work-related accidents and injuries are especially costly because they can cause an increase in your Workman's Compensation insurance rates. If you have an injury, each state handles Workman's Compensation differently. In Missouri, where my business is located, Workman's Compensation is based on a certain percentage of every $100 you payout to the employee. We had someone who cut their finger off, and payments jumped from 5 percent to 9 percent —so for every $100 we paid out the next several years, we had to match $9 in Workman's Compensation premium payments.

As an employer, you also need to be educated about the safety regulations in your state regarding your equipment and products. You need to know the safety regulations, since the guidelines can vary greatly from state to state.

Since workplace accidents are as costly as they are unpleasant, safety measures need to be a top priority in your business. Safety in the workplace begins with the attitude of the employer. If you let your employees know that safety is your number one priority, they will be more likely to make it a priority.

As an employer, you need to set an example and practice safety as well as preach it. You also have to be willing to keep all of your equipment, such as your blades and table saw, in good working order. Keep all of your saw blades sharp with no broken teeth. Router bits should be sharp and the bearings shouldn't be loose. My employees know that all they have to do is tell me that a blade is dull, and I'll buy anew one.

Blades are hazardous, and so is electrical machinery. Make sure the sanders, router and buffers don't have nicks in their cords, and that they're properly wired. Don't let your workers wrap the cord around their necks when using the big machine.

Most accidents are result of carelessness. I constantly remind my employees to wear earplugs, safety glasses and dust masks. I also stress to them not to come into work too fatigued. It can be hard to dispel the invincible "It won't happen to me" attitude. I tell them stories I've heard from talking to people who have had accidents. The key is convincing workers that it can happen to them. In my company, most of the employees are young, and it's hard to get them to wear safety glasses, but I keep preaching to them and leading by example. If they see that you care enough to put your glasses on every time you use the table saw, they'll eventually follow your lead.

Before I hire employees, I ask if they have a history of back injury. Floor installation, along with lifting heavy equipment, is tough on the back. Using the proper technique to lift machinery is very important. I also have them stretch out after they've been hunched over the nailer all day. They may feel self conscious doing mid-day stretching or wearing safety glasses in front of other construction workers, but peer pressure from other contractors who don't follow safety isn't worth losing an eye or a finger.

Training on the proper way to use the saws, routers, nailers and other tools is very important. Especially with new employees, I don't take it for granted that they know the proper way to use a table saw. I've seen people who have been doing work for 40 years who use improper techniques.

After initial training, I try to keep safety issues at the forefront of my company training. We have a monthly safety meeting on the first Monday of the month. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes, but it's a time when I can stress safety. The meetings are also a chance for employees to mention safety concerns and let me know if equipment needs repair. They may have noticed a cord that has a broken prong or a saw that has a loose part. Fifteen minutes once a month is very little time to spend on something so important.

Another good way to get your employees interested in safety is to offer benefits. This could be something as little as taking them out to dinner once a month if they don't suffer an injury on the job. Amy company, we break the year up into quarters, and if a worker goes all three months without an injury, he earns a paid day off. If he goes all year without an injury, he gets a week's paid vacation. We also want our employees to watch out for each other and remind each other of safety procedures. As an owner, you can't be around all the time to monitor safety. You need your employees to work as a team to make it a safe workplace.

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