Has your finger ever been hit in the process of someone slamming a vehicle door?

This might seem “small” or negligible until you read the next scenario .
Did you hear the story of the female student whose uniform belt was caught in the door of the school bus and the school bus driver drove on oblivious to the fact a child was attached?

The little things we take for granted might be the difference between an accident and a non-accident. Who would have thought a losely tied or unloosend belt would have led to that?

At the last #SchoolSafetySummit the representative of the @frscnigeria advised that before school bus drivers move vehicles they have to stop and check before driving off. In practical terms this means, a child alights, you wait to hear the door close, you check that the child has moved away from the vehicle successfully, then you drive off. Drivers should also be mindful of children hurrying on the road without carefully observing traffic.

For children, always encourage them
1) To avoid staying around parked vehicles
2) To wait for the bus to stop before approaching it
3) To avoid playing on the streets while waiting for the bus
4) To be careful so their clothes or property is not caught in the bus
5) If something falls, they should speak to the driver first before bending to pick it.

For school management,
1) Ensure school buses have seatbelts
2) Have a student feedback system so happenings in the bus can be reported
3) Have a teacher/minder in the bus to accompany and monitor the kids
4) Have a first aid kit in the bus.

Every employer has a duty to provide a safe place of work for its employees. Employees have a duty to follow laid down safety procedures in the workplace. But what happens when there is no safety system in place? It is important to consider the safety of your operations and invest in it.

A safety management system (SMS) is a proactive and systematic process of safety. It involves developing a safety culture that ensures your organisation/business remains safe from loss of any kind.

There are numerous benefits to incorporating a SMS in your workplace namely:

Cost reduction

It reduces business costs and increases efficiency. With a SMS in place, you won’t have to worry about spending limited resources addressing the fallout of accidents and other incidents such injury, loss of goods, damage to business property, even death.

Financing

Banks and investors are more likely to invest in a business that is set up on a right foundation. No one wants to lose hard-earned money to accidents that could have been averted.

Employee morale

In business, word of mouth travels faster than any advertising. Employees do not want to leave a job worse than when they got into it, broken bones, injuries or ill-health. A safety system boosts their morale and lets them know that their employer is interested in their overall well-being. This morale of staff is inadvertently manifest in improved client relations and that is a plus to a business.

Business confidence

Big companies in construction, aviation and oil and gas seek credible businesses with a safety culture to work with. This singular investment in a safety culture could set you apart from other business owners

Legal compliance

And of course, using SMS means you would be complying with relevant laws in your country of operation.

Cheers to building safer businesses and workplaces.

Original article was published on  She Leads Africa

Image credit: @ulomka, Instagram