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As an employer, your employee’s health and safety is very much your obligation. There are several essential elements to consider relating to equipment, work stations, as well as the building you operate in. Alongside this, sustainability in business is also becoming an important area in which employers must focus their attention.

One key part of creating a safe working environment is being open with your employees, which works both ways. If there are any areas you are concerned about, you should let your staff know right away and put a process in place to reduce the risk of injury and to ensure the hazard is corrected as soon as possible.

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people working in office
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Similarly, you should encourage your employees to come forward and share any concerns they have. This will not only create a safer working environment for them but will also help you as an employer. If they raised a concern that you addressed professionally and promptly, it is likely to discourage employees from claiming compensation. As part of the process, you should help them to understand their rights as a worker.

Common Health and Safety Failings

According to The Compensation Experts, some of the most common areas in which UK employers fail to implement adequate safety standards are:

• Failing to maintain equipment or machinery properly
• Lack of training given to new employees on how to operate machinery or existing employees on how to use new machinery
• Not training staff on the elements of their job that may pose a health and safety risk
• Not researching and purchasing the correct safety equipment for machines and employees
• Failing to complete risk assessments and updating employees on new health and safety risks that were identified as part of a risk assessment that did take place

Creating a Safer Working Environment

Despite the range of areas that health and safety covers, it is possible to have a comprehensive plan in place that protects you and your workers.

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There are several professional companies that can help you to conduct risk assessments for buildings and office environments. Similarly, if you use machinery, the manufacturers may be able to help with training employees and might be able to supply you with the necessary protective equipment.

Steps that you can take yourself to start the process of creating a safer work environment include:

• Provide all staff with appropriate and proper uniforms and where necessary provide them with protective equipment
• Clearly highlight all emergency exits and mark a clear path to them. You should also show any new employees and visitors where these exits are as soon as they arrive
• Conduct fire drills to make sure staff are clear on the procedure in case of a fire on-site and have a designated meeting place away from the building
• Identify any current risks and hazards such as chemicals or machines and ensure that all employees are aware of the risks, even if they don’t work in that area or use the equipment
• Start creating a health and safety handbook with the appropriate processes and codes so that if an accident occurs, you have a defined procedure in place to deal with it quickly and professionally
The safety of your workers should be a top priority, and with the right procedures in place, you can create a safer, more productive, and happier work environment for everyone.

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