One of your key responsibilities as a business owner is to ensure the safety of your staff and keep an eye on their wellbeing within the workplace. The number of accidents that take place in the workplace is a lot higher than you would imagine, due to a large number of people in one area at one time, and that isn’t even taking into consideration the additional equipment and furniture that a workplace has. So, how do you keep your employees safe and avoid any massive lawsuits?
Communication
Communication is essential in the workplace, not only for safety and wellbeing reasons but for productivity and general organisational purposes. After all, how can a business run smoothly if no one knows what is going on? Usually, you will have an operations manager or building manager looking after all aspects of the workplace, but of course, one person can’t see everything that’s going on.
Make sure regular conversations are happening, and everyone knows their responsibilities, and keep an open line of communication for staff members to report any issues that they have found within the building or in their own workspace area. This could be a dedicated email address or simply a book in a shared space to note down issues.
You also need to make sure that your staff can communicate any personal issues that they may be facing that could have an impact on their safety in the workplace. For example, if they are suffering from addiction issues, you may be able to support them in work and help them reduce the alcohol cancer risk with counselling, or simply by having someone to talk to.
Clothing Policy
If you have a uniform, this is a lot easier to manage as everyone is wearing the same. However, some workplaces or industries don’t lend themselves well to a standard uniform, but a clothing policy should always be implemented. After all, you wouldn’t want someone wearing open toe sandals or high heels on a building site. Make sure the uniform or clothing policy is clearly laid out in the handbook, and that is it regularly checked and updated if necessary.
First aid training
In most areas and industries, there is a law insisting that there is at least one member of staff trained in first aid on site at all times, but the more people who can carry out basic first aid, even if it is not legally required, the better. Who knows when an emergency will crop up? Have an accident book available so that any accidents or injuries can be recorded immediately, and a well stocked, in-date first aid kit should be easily accessible to everyone.
Keeping staff safe in the workplace should be your biggest priority because your business may be liable for anything that happens in the workspace. Making sure you have all the right safety procedures in place is going to avoid any nasty fallouts and big payouts, which will only serve to damage your reputation.
