Is Your Workplace Safe?
In the workplace, above all other things, the safety of anyone who enters it is paramount. From making sure that there are no hazards through to planning for the event of a fire, everything should be considered.
It may seem litigious to have to implement a policy for every type of occurrence. And it may seem that spending so much time and money on something that hopefully will never happen is a waste. But every day, businesses face these kinds of issues. Those that are unprepared and I’ll equipment put lives and risk, and business owners can face hefty fines or even prison sentences for negligence. Cutting corners with people’s lives is not an option.
With that in mind, your business needs to have a strategy for dealing with risk. If you are unsure of the type of actions that you will need to take in managing this, there are health and safety online courses which can help out immensely.
Risk Assessment
The first thing your business needs is a risk assessment. This is, as the name suggests a measure of the probability of an accident occurring on your premises. Start by going through the entire building and any external working areas and list anything that could even have a very minor chance of causing an issue. Rate the risk, and note down anything that you can do to minimise this, be it putting up a sign to warn of a threat, staff training or even repairing, replacing or removing the offending element.
Equipment
Make sure that you have the right safety equipment for the job and the premises. You’ll need fire extinguishers, but make sure they are suitable for the type of fire that is most likely to occur in an area. For example, if the fire risk is electrical, water extinguishers will be dangerous here.
A first aid kit is definitely worth having, but it will need checking and items replacing as they get used or become too old to use.
Team Training
When anyone joins your team, the first thing you need to do is give them health and safety training. The evacuation procedure for the event of a fire is fundamental, as well as any specific training relating to their jobs such as lifting and carrying, using lasers or using computers.
Periodically review this training and keep signed records that show that the staff member has received health and information.
When it comes to health and safety, you are not only protecting yourself physically by undertaking a program of training; you are also ensuring you meet legal obligations and quite often those of insurers too.
Regular Checks
Once you’ve got everything set up and in place, you’ll need to check everything regularly. Testing fire alarms, sprinkler systems and emergency lighting are essential as faults can develop without your knowledge. If maintenance is required, be sure to get this done at the earliest possible opportunity as putting it off is putting lives in jeopardy.
