Tips to Decrease Workers' Compensation Claims Against your Business

As a business owner, it's important to protect your venture with workers' compensation insurance. In fact, it's required by law to carry on your employees. While this insurance is in place to help cover the financial burden if an employee gets hurt at work, there are further steps you can take to help reduce the chance of a workers' compensation claim against your business. Our experienced lawyer at the Lake of the Ozarks is here to point out some easy ways you can better protect your venture.

Require Thorough Training with New Hires

When hiring someone to join your team, ensure they have been shown the proper safety protocol for all tasks. This is important to show how safety is a top priority for your new staff members. Putting an emphasis on safety can help make it clear from the start of their employment that you take the safety of your employees seriously. Take the extra time to explain in detail the safety regulations you have within your company. Ensure each new employee fully understands what the safety protocol is and why it is in place. Some employees may not take a safety regulation as seriously until they hear why it is a regulation in the first place.

Look for Safety Improvements

Let your staff know that you are always on the lookout for safety improvements. Sometimes the people who do the job on a daily basis can have great input for safety ideas to add to your company's protocol. Try to be open to employees to report faulty equipment. Let your staff know that you want to know when a piece of equipment is starting to fail, as this is a huge safety concern that needs to be addressed right away. It can be easy to verbally stress about the money required to fix equipment, but try to keep that kind of talk out of the workplace. It may discourage employees from reporting a safety concern if they know it'll end up costing more money for the business to properly fix it, if they believe money is an issue.

Conduct Regular Safety Training

Ensure your staff has regular training sessions to promote safety. Cover any new safety protocol and review your current procedures. This can help ensure that safety is top of mind for all of your employees. While most new employees receive safety training during their initial training, it's best to have a refresher course on a regular basis.

Encourage a Strong Team Environment

Encourage all of your staff members to look out for one another. If your team has a strong bond, they are more likely to care about the safety of one another. Keeping someone safe is important to all employees and the company as a whole. Also, a co-worker may be able to help point out a safety concern to a fellow employee in real-time and help prevent an unnecessary injury.

If your business has a workers' compensation claim, Gibbons Law Firm is here to help. We can help advise you as you gather the necessary documentation for you to best present your side of the case. Our workers' compensation lawyer at the Lake of the Ozarks has experience in this legal realm and is here to help you better protect your business venture!

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.

Your Trusted Legal Resource

Gibbons Law Firm

2820 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B4

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

(573) 348-2211

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Ways to Reduce Your Chance of a Workers Compensation Claim Against Your Business

A workers compensation claim can be detrimental to a business - depending on how severe the injury or your type of workers comp insurance. While it is required for a business to have a workers compensation policy on their employees, some may still not. Our business attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks knows how important this type of insurance coverage is for all businesses. Even with a workers comp policy, it's best to help your employees avoid an accident at all. Below you can find a few tips on how to better prepare your staff for a safe work environment.

Regular Training

Ensure your staff has regular training sessions to promote safety. Cover any new safety protocol and review your current procedures. This can help ensure that safety is top of mind for all of your employees. While most new employees receive safety training during their initial training, it's best to have a refresher course on a regular basis.

Prepare New Employees

When hiring someone to join your team, ensure they have been shown the proper safety protocol for all tasks. This is important to show how safety is a top priority for your new staff members. Putting a high importance on safety can help make it clear from the start of their employment that you take the safety of your employees seriously. Take the extra time to explain in detail the safety regulations you have within your company. Also, ensure each new employee fully understands what the safety protocol is and why it is in place.

Be Open to Improvements

Let your staff know that you are always on the lookout for safety improvements. Sometimes the people who do the job a daily basis can have great input for safety ideas to add to your company's protocol. Try to be open for employees to report faulty equipment. Let your staff know that you want to know when a piece of equipment is starting to fail, as this is a huge safety concern that needs to be addressed right away.

Have Employees Look Out

Encourage all of your staff members to look out for one another. If someone notices a lack of safety, please encourage them to report this. Keeping someone safe is important to all employees and the company as a whole. Also, a co-worker may be able to help point out a safety concern to a fellow employee in real-time and help prevent an unnecessary injury.

If you own a business, it's important to best prepare your employees to create a safe work environment. Our Lake of the Ozarks business lawyer is here to help with a workers compensation claim near the Lake of the Ozarks. If you have an employee get injured on the job, our law firm in Lake Ozark, MO can help. Give Gibbons Law Firm a call today to learn about your legal options when it comes to a workers compensation claim.

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.

Your Trusted Legal Resource

Gibbons Law Firm

2820 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B4

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

(573) 348-2211

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Tips to Protect Your Small Business From a Workers Compensation Claim

Owning a small business takes a lot of time and energy. As a business owner, you are likely looking for ways to reduce the chance of being involved in legal litigation. Here at Gibbons Law Firm, we understand your time and energy is best spent focusing on your business at hand. That's why we've dedicated this week's blog to showcasing a few ways you can help reduce the chance of your business being involved in a workers compensation lawsuit.

Properly Train Employees

When a new employee comes to work for your business, ensure they have the proper training on every aspect of the job they will be doing. The right training can help reduce the chance of an employee being involved in an accident at work. Take the time to explain why each protocol is in place to help your new employees better understand the dangerous potential of the job.

Clearly Mark Dangerous Areas

Use caution tape on the floor to mark hazardous areas in your business. If certain places are reserved for only approved personnel, mark these areas clearly to help eliminate any confusion. Also, be sure to use any signage to let employees and customers know about a potentially hazardous situation. If you have just mopped, make sure you have a wet floor sign marking the area!

Perform Regular Safety Checks

The daily tasks you and your employees perform can quickly become routine. Always have a constant eye out for a potential hazard that may present itself for your employees. Supervisors should perform safety checks on a regular basis to ensure all potentially dangerous situations are accounted for and well known.

Continually Educate About Employee Safety

It's a good idea to do regular training on workplace safety for your employees. This can help keep safety protocol top of mind as your workers complete their daily tasks. Even if your employees have the safety protocol down, it's important to perform a refresher course every now and then.

Ensure Employees Use Proper Safety Procedures

There are a number of safety procedures in place for all lines of work. Whether it's wearing the proper harness for employees on a boom truck or wearing a hard hat on a construction site, it's important that your employees practice proper safety procedures on a daily basis. Keep an eye out for employees and ensure they use the right safety protocol each and every day.

Establish an Open Door Policy

Employees should be encouraged to report any dangerous or potentially dangerous situations in the workplace. Your workers are doing the tasks on a daily basis and may notice a situation that may be a hazard before anyone else. Let your employees know you are open to hearing about potential dangers AND ideas of how to overcome these situations.

As your experienced business attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks, we know how important it is for a business owner to be able to put their energy toward running the business. By helping to avoid legal issues, you can use your time and energy doing what you love. If you do have a workers compensation claim against your business, it's important to have a lawyer at the Lake of the Ozarks on your side. Contact our Lake of the Ozarks attorney TODAY to learn how we can help you navigate the legal landscape that is often involved with owning a business.

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.

Your Trusted Legal Resource

Gibbons Law Firm

2820 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B4

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

(573) 348-2211

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