One of the biggest mistakes that any business owner could make is neglecting the safety of their employees by cutting corners. Whether it’s a lack of safety masks and other similar equipment or just the fact that electrical outlets look frail and are falling apart, there are many standards that have to be met in order for a business to remain legal.
However, there are sadly far too many employers in the world that chose to ignore these safety standards or meet the bare minimum requirement just to satisfy safety inspections. Unfortunately, these selfish acts can cost lives and could end up destroying a business. During times like this, we need to reconsider what we’re doing and if making a few extra dollars worth of profit each month is worth the risk of endangering our staff.
Learn about your own workplace
Feigning ignorance isn’t going to work in this day and age. Every employer is expected to know about the conditions that their staff work in, their needs, and how the job actually works. For example, don’t expect to be able to walk away from a work accident that could’ve been prevented just because “you didn’t know.” It’ll make it even worse if you blame someone else such as a foreman or security officer.
If you start a business, you’d better know everything about it. For instance, if you’re going to be transferring things like gas or fuel on a construction site, then make sure you’re buying industrial quality GORE gaskets to seal pipes. These are useful to connect two different surfaces, but in the case of a construction site, it will most likely be used to connect two pipes when transferring things such as gas or fuel. Similarly, making sure that your workers on a construction yard have hard hats, high-visibility clothing and safety hooks is a sure way to look after your staff, pass inspections, and show your workers that you care about their safety.
Strive to keep your staff safe
Keeping your staff safe should be a number one priority, not an afterthought of something that you can afford to cut corners with. Let’s face it, the amount of money you put into safety right now is probably fairly low and could be bumped up a few notches. Assuming you’re speaking with employees or a foreman, you can get a general idea of how you can improve things at your workplace to put safety first.
When deciding what to spend your budget on, always put safety first. If you do your budget in sequential order, then do safety calculations first. Think about first aid kits first, then move onto specialised pieces of equipment such as steel boots, gloves and so on. If you’re unsure about what to buy, consider speaking to a member of staff and always order a couple more supplies than actually needed. This way you will always have replacements in case something breaks, and if someone new joins you can equip them with the relevant safety equipment straight away.
