Safety in the workplace is a big deal for business owners. One small mistake and you could find yourself tangled in legal action that threatens to destroy your firm. Seriously, the safety of your employees is that important in the eyes of the law. For obvious reasons, you want to avoid this scenario at all costs. And, you can if you make the right health and safety decisions. Here are a few ways you can ensure that everyone in your employment is safe while they work.
Staff Training
Training is the best way to improve your safety record because it is educational. Most training methods center on what employees can do to make sure they keep themselves safe during work. After all, they are also liable to legal action if they make a mistake and someone is injured. More importantly, training is the best way to improve skill levels. After a training session, your workforce can put what they have learned to the test. As long as they understand the dos and don’ts, they should stay out of trouble.
Signs & Labels
Although you may think that a hazard is obvious, a worker may have more difficulty. And, you can’t use their stupidity as an excuse! To make sure that they are fully aware, you need to sign everything that is potentially dangerous. That way, you give your employees the best chance of spotting and avoiding a hazard. Test tag colours, for example, are a great way to warn people about the dangers of electricity. A wet floor sign, on the other hand, is a good way to warn people about slipping and falling. Remember that you have a legal duty to ensure everything is properly signposted.
Hire Competent People
The buck may stop with you, but sometimes you have to trust people to make the right decisions. However, that isn’t going to happen if you don’t hire people with common sense. Although you want the best candidate, you should never just look at their academic and career success. Instead, focus on their personality too. If they seem dopey and clumsy, they are more likely to be a danger in the workplace. The best employees will reward you with fewer ‘on the job’ accidents, even if they do cost a little extra.
Don’t Cut Corners
Most businesses like to promote the anything it takes to win culture because it’s good for business. That may be good for sales, but it is bad for safety. Whether it is knowingly or not, you’re promoting them to cut corners to be successful. With safety, that can be fatal. Make sure that they know they have to take all of the necessary steps with regards to health and safety.
Give Them The Proper Tools
A bad worker blames his tools, or so the saying goes. The truth is that a good worker needs the right tools to do their job. And, if they don’t have them, problems will occur. The same goes for safety. As the boss, it’s your job to give them the proper equipment.
It’s vital to keep your employees safe for their benefit and yours.
