How to Protect Yourself as an Employee in a High-Risk Environment

If you work in a high risk environment, such as offshore or on a boat, then it is vital that you protect yourself as an employee. This will not only support your own health and well-being, but it will also help you to prevent any serious injuries, keep your job, be a good employee, and cover yourself if there were to be any legal action taken.

The employers of a high-risk job should provide you with the relevant training and equipment to conduct your job properly and to a high standard. It is vital that you also uphold your side of your contract by doing things like wearing the equipment provided, working when you are well and able to, and reporting hazards.

While your health and safety are important, these steps are also important for financial and legal reasons, as injuries can lead to fines and penalties that cost both the employer and the employee. Protecting yourself ensures that you are covered if any legal issues do arise, as well as maintaining your own safety and efficiency in the workplace so you can continue to do your job and get paid.

Here are some of the most important things that you can do to protect yourself as an employee in a high risk environment.

Understand the risks of your work

The first and most important thing you need to consider is the risks that come with your work. If you work offshore or on a boat, these are going to be significantly different than working in a corporate office or a building site. For example, extreme weather, drilling accidents, falling objects, electrical hazards, fire and explosions, crush injuries, machine hazards, drowning, and more. You have to consider both the risks on the water and a boat, as well as the work you might be carrying out, for example, if you work in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Use the proper tools and equipment

Your employer should provide you with the proper tools and equipment to do your job safely. Make sure you are trained in how to use them, and keep them properly maintained. It will then be your responsibility to report any problems or fixes to your employer. If they do not give you the right equipment or equipment in good condition, you will have to report that.

Education and training

Education and training is going to be a key part in protecting yourself as an employee. You should receive the proper training on how to do your job, company policies, using equipment, health and safety, and the specifics of your working environment. As mentioned, if this is on a boat or offshore location, then you will need additional training.

Always wear the right personal protective equipment (PPE)

PPE is vital to stay safe in any working environment, which should be supplied by your employer. It then becomes your responsibility to wear it and report when there are any issues. If you are in an accident and you were not wearing your PPE, then you may be liable. Not only will you suffer from an injury, but you may also have to pay a penalty or fine for a breach of contract.

Stay aware

A risky environment means staying aware of your surroundings is crucial. Avoid anything that will distract you, such as using your phone or listening to music with headphones. This will help you to avoid any accidents and ensure any risks are identified early.

Follow procedures and safety practices

Company procedures are in place for a reason. It is crucial that you first know what these are and fully understand them. This will enable you to apply them to your working day practices. As an employee, it is likely that you are on the front lines of the workplace every day, which means you may spot health and safety issues before your employer. You must report these so that safety practices and procedures can be adapted accordingly.

Take breaks

While staying safe and preventing injuries means implementing actions, it is also important that you take regular breaks and slow down. This is to help you avoid burnout, manage fatigue, and stay more alert while working.

Trust your instincts

There may be situations that you come across that don’t feel right, but aren’t obvious or a part of any policies. In these situations, it is vital that you trust your instincts and take the right steps. This might be removing yourself from the situation or reporting it to a manager. It is much better to be safe than sorry in any risky situation.

Communication

Communication is key to any working environment, but especially one that carries higher risks. You need to learn how you and your employees best communicate, so that you can work well together, work efficiently, and reduce accidents.

Keep the workplace clear of hazards

It is your responsibility to keep your working place clear from hazards. Your employer will be responsible for the overall environment, but you are responsible for the day to day organization of the environment when you are doing your job and working with different tools and equipment.

Avoid shortcuts

Whether you are on a tight deadline or want to leave work on time, there is no shortcut that is worth the risk. Every time you take a shortcut, you are increasing the risk of a problem or injury.

Understand your legal rights

As an employee, you have legal rights when it comes to health and safety. First, your employers must provide a safe working environment with the appropriate PPE, safety training, and safety procedures. You are allowed to report or refuse any work that you think is a risk without worrying about being sacked. If, in the unfortunate instance, you are involved in an accident, then you have the right to an offshore accident lawyer to support you.

If you work in an environment that carries high risks, then it is crucial that you know how to protect yourself.

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Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
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Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
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Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
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Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.