Owning a business is a fantastic way to earn money and support yourself and your family. But it’s also a responsibility.
This is especially true as your business gets larger and you take on more employees to help you cover your workload. Employees aren’t just cogs in a machine that have endless energy and can work perfectly efficiently all the time.
They’re people, with the needs and rights of people. As an employer, you have to look after the welfare of your employees and keep them safe in the workplace. This is a legal requirement as much as a moral responsibility.
Do Your Research
To make sure that you’re on the right side of the law and that you’re doing everything you can to keep your employees safe, it’s important to research health and safety requirements for your industry. Different industries are inherently more dangerous than others.
You also need to be able to do a risk assessment so you know what specific dangers are involved in each task. For example, if you run a commercial kitchen, you will need to be aware of the risks involved in using knives, ovens, and other equipment, as well as hot oil dangers. By thinking about the hazards before they happen, you and your employees can be prepared for them.
Proper Signage
Signs are very important for keeping your employees and customers or other people safe in your workplace. Safety signs tell people about different hazards and warn them away.
A very common example of this is a wet floor sign. Whether there’s been a spill or the floor has been recently cleaned, a sign lets people know to keep clear and to be careful. This way, if someone does slip and there was a sign they ignored, you won’t be liable for any injuries.
This is also important in some workplaces that have hazardous areas. For example, some parts of a construction site might be more dangerous than others. Generally, construction sites have areas where people don’t need PPE, as well as areas where people do need PPE, and also restricted areas that are even more dangerous.
Specific signs let people know about certain dangers, such as unsteady footing or the potential for items to fall from above.
Employee Training
Often, there is a level of responsibility on your employees to keep themselves safe as well. However, unless your employees have proper training, they won’t know the correct procedures.
Make sure that people who are using heavy machinery and potentially dangerous equipment are trained in the safe operation of that equipment. You should also think about hiring or training employees in other skills, such as first aid or acting as a safety officer.
With this extra training, as well as preventing accidents and emergencies, you know that your employees can act if and when an unpreventable emergency takes place. If someone gets injured, first aid can be on the scene. If there’s a fire, your safety officer can help people evacuate.
Basic training should include evacuation drills, as well as procedures to help people work more safely.
Workplace Design
Whether you work in a low risk environment like an office or retail store, or you work in a higher-risk environment like a factory floor or a construction site, the design and layout of the work premises can have a huge impact on safety.
For example, when people are going up stairs or are at a height, it’s important to invest in commercial railing systems. Railing systems can be an aesthetic choice, but they also massively reduce the risk of people falling from a height.
Other workplace design features and principles to consider include the general layout of the space. As well as being efficient, you want to have clear walkways so people are less likely to trip and fall. You also want people to be able to leave quickly if there’s a fire or another emergency.
Security Systems
As well as natural disasters and accidents, you have to consider the potential human or criminal threat that your employees face. Cameras and security systems deter trespassers and potential thieves, protecting your employees and your property.
You should also invest in cybersecurity to protect your data and the personal information of your employees and your customers. As well as putting firewalls in place, make sure that employees know how to recognize phishing emails or potential viruses. This will keep your company and your people safe.
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