Top Tips For Improving Workplace Health And Safety
Whether it results in reputational damage or employee accident and injury, there’s no denying that poor workplace health and safety strategies can have a catastrophic effect on your business. For example, workplace injuries in the US cost businesses across the country billions of dollars annually.
As a result, having the proper health and safety policies in place will help you to safeguard your business, giving you the longevity you deserve.
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to improve workplace health and safety!
Train your employees
When your employees do not receive the appropriate health and safety training, they become hazards within the workplace. Not only will this lead to more accidents at work but it could also lower productivity and efficiency rates too, as employees are not able to work as effectively. Moving forward, you ensure that all members of your team receive the appropriate training during their onboarding and whenever new equipment, tools, or practices are introduced to the workspace.
If you are hiring construction workers for example, then they will need to be trained to use the equipment correctly, even if they state they have used it elsewhere. If you train everyone then you know that they have been trained correctly. There are many different types of equipment and tools that they may have never seen or used before, an arc welder or elevating platform for example. They should also be reminded to use PPE where required and appropriate.
In addition to this, you should ensure that at least some members of your team receive health and safety training. After all, this means that they are able to provide assistance in an emergency (though emergency services should be called when necessary).
Ensure you have the relevant insurance policies in place
Having the right insurance policies in place is also key when it comes to protecting your business. Otherwise, you could be facing hefty fines and even legal troubles in the event that things go wrong. For example, if you will be using scaffolding on a project for your clients, you should ensure that you have Scaffolding public liability insurance. Of course, you wouldn't want to miss the standard health insurance too. However, according to this dentist who does root canal in Naples FL, most health insurance doesn't cover dental procedures, so you may need to add it as a supplementary policy.
Carry out regular risk assessments
By now, you’re likely well aware of the fact that the state of your workplace can make or break your business. For example, trailing wires can quickly become tripping hazards, leading to accidents and injuries. As such, you should carry out regular risk assessments at your place of work, noting down any findings. When hazards are identified, ensure that you have a plan in place to remove them as quickly as possible. You may also want to appoint a health and safety officer within your team whose entire goal is to make your workplace safer for everyone.
Invest in quality signage
You can also make our workplace safer by investing in quality health and safety signage. For example, it's a legal requirement to ensure that fire exits are clearly signposted so that employees and customers know exactly which route to take out of the building in an emergency.
Signage can also be used in factory environments to provide guidance on using specific equipment. This, again, works to prevent injury. It can also ensure that employees remember to wear the appropriate PPE in these environments!
In short, there are many steps you can take to improve workplace health and safety, allowing you to focus on growing your business as opposed to accidents and damage control!
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