Health and safety is a legal requirement for any workplace. But if you’re a fledgling business who have just opened their first premises then sometimes such things can be forgotten about. However, making sure that your workplace is safe for not only your staff members but for visitors as well is crucial to preventing any kind of trouble down the road. So where do you focus your efforts? Well, technically everywhere. However, preventing the most common issues is often the best place to start. There are 4 areas that you can focus your attention on early in order to keep your employees safe.
Slips and trips
The most common injuries come from the most common accidents. Slips and trips are the most common accident by far in the workplace but are thankfully the most easily prevented. Make sure wires, small objects and boxes are all out of the way of foot traffic and that people have designated areas for storage of said items. Preventing the injuries is easier than treating them so do everything you can to stop them from happening.
Electrical safety
All electrical equipment must be tested in accordance with your local and national laws. Do not have equipment that is unsafe available for use. It should all be tested first by a qualified professional who can check for any faults and help point out any areas that may give cause for concern later down the line. Don’t leave electrical parts out where staff can come into contact with them needlessly. Lock up fuse boxes and anything else not in use to prevent issues.
Ladders and heights
An area that workplaces often forget about is safety at heights. Nobody thinks about it until someone injures themselves from atop a ladder and then the companies health and safety policy and obligations are brought straight into question. If there is any need for an employee to be off of the floor at any given moment in any area of the business premises, make sure the proper protocols are in place to protect them. If this means installing railings or preventing access without safety rigs then so be it.
Manual handling
Lifting and moving heavy objects can cause serious injuries very quickly. Improper technique and poor training can lead to life-changing issues for those involved. Regardless of what your business is, making sure that all employees are aware of good posture and technique when it comes to handling anything remotely heavy, either now or in the future, is important. It’s not the ultra-heavy objects that hurt people. It’s the small ones that they don’t think about that cause the damage. Learn and demonstrate the techniques yourself if you must. Just make sure your employees know what to do.
Putting it together
Remember that you are ultimately responsible for injuries in your workplace. Make sure to implement a health and safety policy that adheres to government-mandated guidelines in order to protect yourself and your employees. However if nothing else, these 4 key areas will serve as a great platform to build upon as you manage the safety of your employees in the years to come.
