It is estimated that a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds.
So, rather than up the chances of this being yourself or a member of staff, you should aim to make your workplace as safe as possible. This is not only for legal reasons but also to boost morale, as well as to retain staff and make your place of work a great area for everyone.
How can you do this? Read on to find out!
Lockout Kits
There are few things worse than having an emergency in the workplace and being stuck behind a locked door with no way out or in. Every place of work should have a set of lockout kits which are, in essence, a set of skeleton keys that will open and close most standardised locks. Seton.co.uk offer lockout kits but you should make sure that any sets that you purchase will fit into the locks in your place of work which could pose a risk if they could not be opened in an emergency.
Safety Training
The best way to prevent accidents in the workplace is to be proactive, and as such, you should aim to train your staff on how to prevent incidents.
This is quite easy to do and can be achieved by conducting regular safety training sessions for all members of staff, as well as refresher courses on how to use fire hydrants, fire alarms, and other pieces of equipment in the workplace. You should also ensure that all of your staff are up to date on the most recent emergency procedures and hazard recognition that is applicable to your place of work and that they also know how to use personal protective equipment or PPE.
Audits of Emergency Equipment
You should make sure that any pieces of emergency equipment in your workplace are checked as often as they need to be so that should an issue occur, you will have the appropriate equipment on hand, which can potentially save lives. For example, the standard fire hydrant, which you will find in most shops or cafes, will need to have an annual audit, and any incidents/ malfunctions would need to be reported, and the hydrant itself may need to be replaced or repaired.
Promote a Safety-First Culture
You need to ensure that all of the staff who work on your premises adopt a proactive approach to preventing accidents and incidents. You can do this by promoting a safety-first culture. In short, this means encouraging open and honest communication between yourself and your staff about potential workplace concerns as well as suggestions. You should also take note of employees who show a commitment to safety in the workplace and make sure that any senior members of staff reward staff who adhere to safety practices.
Implement Clear Policies
People who don’t know what the rules and regulations are will not be able to follow them in an emergency. As every workplace has different risks, due to the nature of the setting or the work itself, you will need to set in place clear policies relating to workplace accidents, incidents, and emergencies.
When you hire new staff, make sure that they have a copy of these policies, both on computer and on paper, as this will prevent miscommunication and is an important legal aspect of any workplace. If you aren’t sure which policies to implement, you can contact an independent workplace risk assessor, who will be able to provide you with the best strategies to keep your workplace safe.