In a workplace, it is critical to ensure that everything is optimised in terms of health and safety – the last thing you want to be doing is facing any harm coming to your employees as you will be liable for anything that happens to them. Their health and safety should be your priority, always.
A good way to think about health and safety in the workplace is just thinking of it like housekeeping, little chores every now and again to help keep everything in ship-shape condition. Not only will this improve the safety of your workplace massively, it will also help increase productivity and the general happiness of your workforce – after all, everyone wants to feel well looked after!
David Rowland, Head of Marketing at EcoOnline, is one of the foremost proponents of a stringent health and safety policy. He claims that a positive health and safety culture is vitally important, and that it can have a knock on effect on your businesses KPIs and bottom line.
Here are some of the ways in which you can keep your workplace optimised to make sure safety is your top priority.
Keep an accident book
Anytime there is an accident in the workplace, it is important that it is recorded in the accident book so it can be resolved by the person responsible for safety in the workplace. It is also crucial near-misses are also recorded in this book as well, just because someone may have gotten lucky this time around does not mean there isn’t a problem there that needs attending to.
Store the proper equipment
Personal protective equipment (or PPE for short) is imperative for a lot of jobs that involve risk, so it is necessary for you to determine what PPE will need to be stocked to make sure your workforce is protected. The PPE should also be regularly checked to ensure its condition is still fit to be used.
If an accident does befall one of your workforce, then make sure that you stock the proper occupational health equipment like first aid kits to minimise any damage done. Making sure a wealth of your staff are trained in first aid is always useful.
Cut out any chances of slips, trips and falls
According to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) in 2016 slips trips and falls are the single most common cause when it comes to workplace injuries, and can be the cause of many major injuries such as scalding or high falls. Ensuring that your floors stay dry is imperative, or if this isn’t possible, then safety shoes are needed to minimise the risk of falls. If the job involves grease or similar slippery liquids, then it’s important to have the right cleaning products to hand to deal with the problem of a spillage.
Keep documented safety procedures
It is important that everyone is on the same page when it comes to safety, therefore drafting up documents that put your safety policies in writing won’t have anybody second guessing what their responsibilities are. Where possible, try to put these in plain sight and are easy to read, that way your workforce are more likely to adhere to them.
Be aware of fire hazards
Fire safety is another important aspect of health and safety as a fire could have a devastating effect to your business. Do all you can to prevent a fire hazard by getting in touch with someone like one of the fire sprinkler companies in Houston (or wherever it is you are based) to make sure that your building is fully kitted out with sprinklers that can spring into action when needed. You should also ensure that you are only keeping combustible materials out in the open when necessary for the job and, when they are finished with, put them back in a safe storage facility (away from any possible sources of ignition) to minimise the risk.
