No matter your industry, you have unavoidable responsibilities as an employer. While health and safety training and risk assessments may sound dull, Industar is here to remind you that they save lives. You must demonstrate that the well-being of your workforce is a significant concern and adapt your building accordingly. Don’t worry if you’re unsure where to start protecting your staff and feel overwhelmed! Here is a guide covering how to prioritise health & safety in the workplace.
Display Safety Signage
Hazards are sometimes unavoidable, no matter how careful you are. Signals help you illuminate risks that can’t be removed and encourage staff to navigate the workplace thoughtfully. Safety signs and signals are compulsory under the Health and Safety Regulations 1996 if no other measures can ultimately reduce the risk of injury.
There are four separate categories of safety signage that may benefit your workplace. Prohibition signs, warning signs, mandatory and emergency signs fulfil different needs within your building! Prohibition signage delivers ‘do not’ commands, while warning signs indicate nearby danger. Mandatory signage dictates behaviour that employees must maintain. Emergency signs accompany emergency equipment like first aid kits or exits.
Design your building with safety signage in mind. Stick necessary posters and warnings at eye level so staff won’t ignore them, and ensure they’re secure so they won’t fall.
Appoint A Dedicated Officer
Don’t rely on every member of your team for exceptional health and safety. One responsible person should uphold the rules and remain accountable for any incidents. When too many staff members are involved with management, it gets difficult to decipher who is organising what. Confusion between health and safety officers means the team can forget tasks, and risk assessments get delayed.
Your dedicated officer will assess your premises continuously and identify any hazards you may have missed. Additionally, you can rely on an appointed person to arrange safety courses and annual equipment handling lessons and ensure everybody is competent in their role. Electric tow tug training and first aid qualifications sorted by your health and safety officer will equip other staff to complete tasks safely.
When you’re considering who to establish as your enforcer, remember that a full-time employee is a must. Health and safety risks are not part-time, so the officer can’t be either.
Install CCTV Cameras
In a fast-paced working environment, health and safety measures must be upheld by your employees to maintain their well-being. Staff must handle equipment carefully and complete regular tidying to keep every room easy to navigate. If encouraging your team to act mindfully isn’t compelling enough, CCTV cameras allow you to survey your entire building. Recorded footage helps you identify risks that employees aren’t taking seriously or hazards you may not have noticed yet.
CCTV also provides an additional layer of security to your building. An intruder could threaten the health and safety of your team. Still, your premises are less likely to be targeted if they’re monitored. Burglaries can turn violent, while vandalism could leave your building unsafe to enter. Taking steps to avoid serious incidents demonstrates you value your staff highly.
Hold Annual Training Refreshers
You’ll need to complete a risk assessment for every job role you offer. Once you’ve identified hazards your staff will face, you can arrange health and safety training addressing every concern. Naturally, workers in more physical positions, such as machinery operators, will need in-depth sessions to avoid injury. In contrast, office staff may only need basic lessons. Hosting your training once a year will remind your team that carefully finishing tasks is critical. You can tailor your sessions to cover new machinery.
For example, a new industrial hoover for your business will require staff demonstrations and training. You can arrange these sessions annually to educate new employees or remind older staff of safe etiquette. It’s easy to forget steps you need to undertake when handling equipment without revised lessons, so provide annual training to prioritise health and safety within your business.
Monitor Personal Protective Equipment
Safety hats, steel-capped boots and visors can be critical features of a protective uniform. Suppose you’re managing a team of manual labourers. In that case, personal protective equipment is an essential element of health and safety. As an employer, it is your legal responsibility to provide every item your team requires to complete a job securely. To demonstrate you prioritise the health and safety of your staff, you ought to conduct routine PPE checks. If anybody has damaged or worn equipment, replace it promptly.
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, loses effectiveness over time. Boots wear after repeated use and can leave your workforce exposed to potential foot injuries. Don’t assume that buying disposable masks or hard hats one time is reasonable enough. Expect that PPE is an ongoing investment. Listen to your team if they have any concerns regarding durability or quality.
Choose Equipment Carefully
When purchasing machinery for your business, prioritise health and safety by considering the potential risks. Forklifts and other heavy vehicles can cause catastrophic accidents, and there are safer alternatives for your warehouse. An electric tow tug can move a similar load without requiring a license or half as much storage space. Selecting your equipment based on its safety features is a sure way to demonstrate that you carefully consider the health of your workforce.
With up-to-date machinery and equipment, severe accidents with your team members are less likely. As long as you complete regular servicing and maintenance, breakdowns are rare! If ever you’re in doubt about the performance of your equipment, remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry. Call out a professional for investigation and repair before letting your staff try to complete any work. The well-being of your team must always be the priority.
Ask For Employee Feedback
While health and safety is primarily your responsibility, your workforce must comply with your regulations. Anybody on your premises needs to be as invested in their welfare as you are! Encourage employees to voice their health and safety concerns, and rectify them where possible. Prioritising health and safety for your business is an ongoing process. You should regularly update all staff as new policies or new machinery poses unexpected risks.
Contact us at Industar for further advice on maintaining your commercial premises and support when choosing machinery that’ll make your roles safer.