Whatever sector your business operates in, few things are as important as employee safety. According to the Health and Safety Executive, 400,000 workers suffered non-fatal injuries in Great Britain in 2020/21. If this happens to one of your employees, the repercussions for your business can be significant. It’s impossible to be prepared for every eventuality, but when it comes to the safety of your workers, there are several things you can do to provide them with an environment that reduces the chances of injury.
Why is employee safety important?
No one wants their employees to experience pain and suffering – especially when it is due to an injury at work. Absence due to sickness and injury can also be costly for a business and hinder productivity. Furthermore, if your company is deemed to be liable for the issue, then it could lead to an expensive payout. If you want to avoid this, it’s best to pay plenty of attention to your safety procedures.
Admin for keeping employees safe
The best place to start is to implement health and safety protocols that are relevant to the work your employees will be carrying out. These policies can be included in contracts so workers know the standards they are expected to meet and the regulations they must follow on a daily basis. These documents can work as a safeguard against potential injury claims for the business too.
Ensuring physical safety
The risk of injury is much higher in manual jobs than it is for an office worker, for example. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for several physical jobs, and it is the responsibility of the employer to provide this for a worker. Equip your employees with work gloves to protect their hands when operating heavy or dangerous machinery, respirators in dusty environments, and googles when their eyes are at risk of being struck by small particles.
Training
It’s not enough to simply provide the PPE, though. You’ll need to ensure your workers are trained in how to use it effectively. You can also provide training that will help employees spot potential risks and hazards, be that from the environment or the working practices of their colleagues.
Risk assessments
Carrying out frequent risk assessments can help you identify potential hazards your workers may be exposed to and put a plan in place to protect them. Risk assessments must be “suitable and sufficient” under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This means they should make it clear when a check was made, what was involved, and that you checked who could be affected and dealt with the risks appropriately.
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by Kuzmafoto.
