As an employer, it is one of your responsibilities to keep employees safe in the workplace. If you put them at risk by being careless, you can get in a lot of trouble. It could mean lawsuits both big and small, damage to your reputation, and more. Knowing how to keep them safe no matter what is essential – below you’ll find 12 crucial steps to help you to do this.
- Perform Risk Assessments
First of all you need to perform a few risk assessments to see what hazards could be lurking in your workplace. It’s a good idea to designate a competent person or do them yourself – don’t just give this job to anybody, as it’s very important. Note any hazards down, such as lots of wires that could cause a trip, or even files not stored properly that could cause a fire hazard.
Communicate with staff about the things that could be a risk. All employees need to know what the risks are and how it could be linked to their work. It’s no good carrying out risk assessments if you’re not going to effectively communicate the results.
2. Put Together A Health And Safety Policy/Plan
Putting together a health and safety policy or plan that everybody can understand and access will ensure you and your team are on the same page. It can also stop you from getting into trouble if something does go awry. If you own a transportation company, coming up with a fleet safety policy will help – your policy needs to be tailored to your specific business.
Also, make sure every employee understands what needs to happen should there be a crisis, whether by a violent person or a natural disaster. Having your plan looked at by a legal team may also be a good idea.
3. Get Expert Advice
If you’re struggling to do this alone, get expert advice. Law enforcement officials will usually be happy to offer suggestions and courses. Experts will know what works best, so don’t struggle alone.
4. Perform Drills
Performing drills will give you peace of mind, as it’ll ensure everybody on your team knows what to do and where to go in the event of an emergency. Carrying these out about once every 6 months is a good idea.
5. Provide First Aid/Basic Self Defense/Health and Safety Courses In the Workplace
Providing courses for your employees will not only help everybody to stay safe, it’ll give them important skills that they may be able to use outside of the workplace, too. They’ll appreciate that you’re investing in their development like this.
6. Secure Your Business Premises
Securing your physical premises is also an essential step – you need to keep criminals at bay, as well as consider anything else that could go awry. For example:
- Install CCTV cameras
- Consider hiring security
- Back up your data and keep important data on the cloud
- Use difficult passwords
- Use a different password for each platform
- Don’t give passwords/keys out to every employee
7. Designate Leaders Within Your Team
You’re going to want to ensure that there are leaders in your group who can coordinate and take additional responsibility if something were to happen. There can be a lot of miscommunication and stress when something goes awry, so choosing somebody who is great at making decisions and staying calm in tough situations is key. Just make sure they want the responsibility, as not everybody will like it.
8. Create a Welcoming Environment
Having a welcoming environment will mean having a team of employees who feel comfortable coming to you for help without any anxiety. An open door policy is key. It’s all well and good saying you have one, but make sure you have an approachable demeanor and that you take an interest in the wellbeing of your team the rest of the time. Listening to your employees before situations escalate is a must.
9. Put Prevention Strategies In Place
Putting prevention strategies in place when you have carried out a risk assessment will ensure everything is as safe as possible. Let your team know how to spot suspicious activity, and consider things like ID tags and sign in sheets. Before hiring a new employee, you’ll also want to look into their background and references. Don’t take their word for it. You need to be sure they are trustworthy and that they are who they say they are.
10. Reward Employees For Safe Behavior
Rewarding your employees for safe behaviour could be an effective way to ensure workplace safety is taken seriously. Small rewards can keep people engaged, so not only will you reduce workplace injuries, you may find your team become more productive, too.
11. Use Labels And Signs
Putting up labels and signs is effective and cheap. You can quickly communicate important information this way, and detail hazards quickly. These tools are good reminders and warnings for even the most experienced worker. Make sure they are placed everywhere there may be a hazard as a quick reminder.
12. Encourage Breaks and Rest
Employees that don’t take proper breaks or get away from their desks may appear to be working harder, but they could actually be hurtling towards exhaustion. Burning out is a real issue, and taking regular breaks can ensure that this doesn’t happen. Getting away from a desk or their workstation will allow them to eat a proper lunch or get some fresh air and then get back to work ready for whatever their day throws at them. Even encouraging naps could be the way forward, as many studies have proven this to be beneficial, so a number of businesses are rolling this out. You might think your team will get less done, but they could actually become happier, more productive, and less prone to injury as a result. You just have to trust them!
Keeping employees safe at work is incredibly important if you plan on running a successful business for the long term!
I really liked how you said it is important to provide first aid and other safety courses for your employees. This will greatly help keep fellow workers safe on the job and at home. I’m grateful for your advice on workspace safety.
Thanks David!