Last Updated on October 2, 2022 by HodgePodgeDays
Preventing accidents and illness in the workplace is vital, regardless of your industry. In the year 2021-2022, over 200 people were killed in work-related accidents and thousands more are injured or suffer from illnesses as a result of their work. Protecting the health and safety of your employees and customers is a legal duty and will also help your business avoid the distress and financial costs associated with workplace accidents and ill health. Fortunately, there are clear steps you can take to ensure your employees are as safe as possible at work.
Clear Signage
Safety signs are an essential part of any business, whether it’s a plaque on a construction site or a safety poster in a workplace such as an office. In some cases, signage is a legal requirement so it’s vital that you put these in place where required. Safety signs are also an effective way to remind employees to be careful and aware of potential risks. Regardless of industry, your workplace is likely to need some type of safety sign, whether it’s something simple like ‘Caution: Hot Water’ above a bathroom tap or more complex signage around hazardous chemicals or machinery.
Safety signs can also be educational and communicate essential information to new employees. Your business may already have safety signs in place, however, you need to review these regularly and remove or replace any that are faded, illegible or no longer relevant.
Regular Training
Providing your employees with regular health and safety training is not only a legal requirement but can also help you to reduce the number of workplace-related injuries, which has benefits for your employees and your business.
A robust health and safety training program also creates a culture of safety in your workplace, which lets your employees (and potential employees) know that you value their safety and wellbeing when they’re at work and increases the likelihood of employees approaching management with any issues and reporting potential hazards.
Risk Assessments
Undertaking risk assessments is a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Risk assessments are a way of identifying what could potentially cause an injury or illness in your business, considering how likely this is to happen and then taking action to eliminate or reduce the risk.
To perform a risk assessment, you will need to examine your workplace and consider anything that could be a hazard. Depending on your industry this might be something obvious, like a vehicle, piece of machinery or a chemical substance. In other workplaces, it could be something more subtle, like the risk of items falling from high shelves or the risk of scalding from a coffee machine. Looking over previous accident records will ensure you address any recurring issues.
For each hazard identified, list the potential ways that your employees, visitors or customers might be harmed by it and how likely this is. You will also need to decide how serious the risk is and what the worst possible outcome could be. The next step is to eliminate or reduce the risk as much as feasibly possible. This might include some of the measures above, such as adequate training and signage or other steps, like replacing machinery, changing the way your employees work, or providing personal protective equipment.
For example, a shop owner may identify that when it is raining, the doorway of their shop becomes wet and creates a greater risk of slips, trips and falls. This could result in people falling and suffering sprains, bruises or even broken bones. It may not possible to eliminate this risk entirely and the shop owner can’t be expected to control the weather but they could certainly put down door mats and a wet floor sign to alert their employees and customers to the hazard.
Conclusion
There are several measures that employers can take to improve workplace safety. Health and safety at work will not only make your workers feel safer when carrying out their jobs but will also benefit your business. It enables your employees to work more efficiently and raises the reputation of your company as one that prioritises the wellbeing of its staff and customers.
This is a contributed post.