What’s your safety inventory?

To me, inventory means numbers and paperwork and lots of things. At least that’s what I remember from a past retail stint; counting what seemed like endless products in drawers and on shelves, dating and marking them and putting them back exactly where they were when you started.

Although it may seem like it at the time, taking inventory is NOT an exercise in futility. After all, if you are selling something, it’s pretty darn important you know how much you have, how much you’ve sold, what’s selling, what you need to replace, etc. Not doing this can be COSTLY; not enough of something could lose you sales. On the other hand, if you have too much inventory, you’re probably paying storage fees or stocking excess inventory because you don’t know how much you really have.

What about taking inventory of your company’s safety program? Do you really know what you have or are you just guessing? Are you prepared for what might happen? Do you have a tried and tested plan? The stakes are pretty high on this one. Not having the right things in place can cost you more than dollars and cents; it can lead to serious injuries or worse.

Ask yourself a few important questions. When was the last time you reviewed your workplace safety program? Have you adapted it to changes in the environment? Are you sure all safety equipment is operational? Have new employees been trained? Are policies and procedures updated? Do all employees know what they are? What’s working and what needs to be improved? Create a safety checklist. You can find a number of examples online. Then USE it on a regular basis to ensure that your safety program doesn’t come up short. It will be the best inventory you take.

Posted by MJ Thomas