If you’re in charge of managing a workplace, health, and safety are important things to consider. You need to ensure that all of your workers are able to work safely and reduce the risk of serious injury as much as possible. Recent estimates suggest that the cost of workplace accidents and injuries is around £15 billion every year.
Because of how serious workplace accidents can be and the toll they can have on a business, it’s vital to make sure you’re always on top of any risks. The type of size of the risks faced will depend on your business and the type of environment in which you work. Obviously, some workplaces are going to be more dangerous than others, but accidents can happen anywhere. In this article, we’ll explain some ways you can improve the health and safety of your workplace.
Fire Safety
Fire safety is perhaps one of the most important things to consider when managing your workplace safely. The majority of fires are preventable, and with the proper procedures in place, you can lower the risk of them occurring. Not only that, but having evacuation procedures as well as equipment such as fire exit signs and fire extinguishers can help keep your workers safe.
You should start out with a fire safety risk assessment. This can be done separately or as part of a larger risk assessment and follows the same methodology as health and safety risk evaluations. The aim is to identify potential fire risks, such as sources of ignition and sources of fuel.
Once you’ve identified risks, you can find ways to minimise them, such as by separating fuel sources and potential sources of ignition. For example, if your workplace has heaters or lighting, ensure that any stores of material that could be flammable are stored away from them.
Training Employees
Most health and safety risks can be eliminated by providing proper training to your employees. This can come from actual training sessions, as well as signs and posters to provide reminders on previous training. You should also ensure that your employees are getting regular refreshers and that any new information on risks or procedures is made available to them.
When running a business and managing a team, getting feedback from your staff is important. Check-in with your employees to make sure they understand the current procedures and are happy with the training that they’re given. Remember that training employees incorrectly could lead to costly and damaging accidents.
Aside from offering proper training, you should also allow your employees to feel comfortable reporting any unsafe practices. If one worker is carrying out their job unsafely, they could be putting others at risk. If they can be reported, they can be dealt with properly, but otherwise, it could increase the chance of an accident occurring.
Electrical Safety
On top of fire risks, electrical issues can also have a major impact on workplace safety. Most offices, factories and other places of work use electrical appliances and sockets for various different reasons. While some of these appliances may draw more power than others, they all represent a risk if used incorrectly.
To ensure proper electrical safety, all of the appliances used in your workplace should be PAT tested regularly. In addition, it’s important to ensure that wiring and adapters are correct, as using too much power could cause issues.
Employees should be trained on electrical risks, but it’s important to ensure they don’t carry out tasks they’re not qualified for. Rewiring appliances and other tasks should be left to the responsibility of an electrician. You should also carry out regular electrical hazard risk assessments as part of the general risk assessment to work out any potential risks.
