Whatever the industry or sector, whether it’s an industrial setting or an office environment, employers and business owners have a duty of care to their employees. This means that it’s essential they prioritise the safety of their staff.
This applies in every industry. From building sites to film sets, there’s always even the slightest possibility that someone could be hurt. This could be because of exposed cables forming a trip hazard or faulty machinery slipping at the wrong moment.
However, if you’re an employer, you’ll be aware that injuries do happen. According to statistics from the Health and Safety Executive, in 2020/21, there were 1.7 million workers suffering from work-related ill health and 0.4 million experienced a non-fatal injury in the same period. Additionally, 470,000 were experiencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
With these figures in mind, it can be easy to feel concerned about how you can keep your team safe – especially if you run a company that’s in a higher-risk industry like construction. If you oversee a team and want to know how to minimise risk, read on.
Why Is Health And Safety Important?
There are several reasons why it’s important to prioritise health and safety in the workplace. The main reason is that this is your responsibility as an employer.
Another reason is that, if you’re looking after their health, keeping staff safe benefits them because they’re going to feel comfortable when they come into work and they’re not going to be off work recovering from injuries they’ve encountered on he job.
This, in turn, means they’re more likely to feel engaged and productive – and from a business perspective, an engaged workforce is one that will get the job done and not want to leave any time soon.
So, not only will you be keeping hold of dedicated employees who feel safe while at work, you won’t have to lose talented staff. So, you won’t have to pay out for the expensive recruitment process.
How To Ensure Safety At Work?
So, how to approach heath and safety at work? Here are some key ways to make sure your team are protected at work.
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Make A Safety Plan
Create a safety strategy. This will make it clear to your staff the health and safety measures that are in place and what to do if someone harmed at work. It should also cover the reporting process for any new health and safety issues that they come across.
To do all of this, you’ll need to run a thorough assessment, addressing and existing hazards. Once you’ve walked through the workplace making your assessments, you can then come up with a plan.
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Think Of The PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) acts as a barrier between the employee and the hazard. Do you have everything you need to keep staff safe? Check your current supply of overalls, masks and goggles. Will employees need new work gloves to protect their hands? Can your budget stretch to new work boots? Prioritise PPE and this will go a long way towards keeping everyone safe.
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Train The Team Up
You might already have a training schedule in place. This is especially likely if you run a construction company or oversee a building site or factory. Machinery and tools will require the right instruction in order to reduce the potential risks involved.
Work out what your team knows and plan when training can next take place. Keep on top of this and make sure you know if anyone needs to brush up on their skills.
It’s also important that you note everything down. Introduce an incident book and encourage your employees to log anything that’s happened as this will help you in the long run. You can then revisit your safety strategy and revise as you go along.
