Don’t take any health and safety risks with your staff
Safety at work is paramount. The consequences of accidents in the workplace are manifold, at the most dangerous, at the least, potentially very costly to the employer.
That’s why businesses must make sure they have solid, clear health and safety guidelines in place. These should be known to all, and should be accompanied by protective clothing and equipment.
It’s particularly important to do so if your employees deal with dangerous substances, where there is a heightened risk of accident. Take nothing to chance. Ensure staff receive thorough training and equipped as appropriate to safely carry out their daily tasks. Make sure training and refreshment courses forms a regular part of their role.
Familiarise yourself with advice provided by the Health and Safety Executive, the body set up to minimise workplace accidents. Make sure that their posters are displayed in prominent, communal areas, i.e. the kitchen. This is a legal requirement.
Invest in safety equipment to minimise the risk of accidents. Fit rubber safety matting safety matting around any electrically-charged machinery to protect employees from shocks. Provide goggles for those who cut materials. Issue high-visibility jackets to those working in dim conditions.
It’s not just the ‘shop floor’ workers that need protecting, the back office requires health and safety provision also. Ensure trailing wires are tidied away using a cable protector. Use hazard tape to raise awareness of any dangerous items that cannot be moved. Make sure that employees chairs are comfortable and supportive.
The responsibility, while to some extent does lie with the individual member of staff, ultimately rests with the employer and their perceived duty of care. Should an accident happen, it is far more likely to be because someone wasn’t trained, didn’t recognise a hazard, they simply didn’t know and that’s down to the employer. At least, that’s what the court might say when that individual pushes a compensation claim your way.
Don’t take the risk, make sure everyone is sufficiently educated.