Looking after your employees and ensuring they are safe in the workplace is something we feel confident many business owners have thought about. No matter what sector or industry you are in, knowing what you can do to protect the well-being of your employees is critical and ensures your business can continue working as normal.
Businesses big and small must implement effective measures to ensure employee safety, and these measures greatly depend on the line of work that you are in. Measures that might work for one industry are not sure to work for another, and vice versa. At the same time, the same could be said for using measures that a competitor is implementing; while they might prove useful for your competitor, that is not to say they will work for you.
Business owners should establish the needs of their own company and make a detailed plan of action using this information. From there, you will be able to implement and uphold safety measures throughout the wider parts of your business, but knowing where to start can often be challenging.
Suppose you are in this position as of late. You might find yourself grasping at straws and researching precisely what you can do to keep your employees safe. If this is the case, you have found yourself in the right place at the right time. Detailed below, we have compiled a guide for business owners wanting to overhaul their health and safety measures as we move into the new year. Read on for more!
1. Having Adequate Safety Systems and Alarms
Protecting your workplace from external threats and forces is something that any business owner has thought about from one time to another. Your company is your livelihood, after all, and you want to do everything in your power to ensure it is protected.
While there are benefits to having safety systems in your business when it comes to protecting the physical aspects of your company, it is also worth noting the benefits that these safety systems would have in protecting your employees too. Safety systems and alarms would alert your employees to any potential dangers, including any fires or carbon monoxide.
Ensuring these systems and alarms are implemented throughout your workplace will go a long way in ensuring ongoing employee safety, both in the short and long term. Having these systems repaired and assessed regularly will minimize the risk of them breaking too, further minimizing the risk of harm coming to yourself or any of your employees.
2. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
Sitting at a desk every day is a reality that many workers face. While there is nothing wrong with doing something like this, there is the increased risk of picking up a few muscular issues over time. Understandably, you will need to provide your employees with the equipment to complete their jobs effectively, and this includes comfortable and appropriate desks and chairs.
Ergonomic chairs, for example, provide comfort to your employees and encourage a correct posture when sitting for prolonged periods of time. Asking yourself why is ergonomics important in the workplace and finding out more on the importance of ergonomics will ensure you are doing all you can as an employer to minimize any muscular problems affecting your employees.
At the same time, you could set aside time in your employees’ day, encouraging them to step away from their desks to stretch their legs and give their eyes a break from looking at a computer screen. Much like when implementing physical safety measures, making an effort to look after the health and well-being of your employees will ensure they are able to complete their jobs to the best standard possible. That being said, there are other measures that can be taken to ensure the well-being of your staff, which takes us to the following section.
3. Caring About Well-Being In The Workplace
Well-being and mental health are topics that have been highlighted more than ever in the media in recent months and years. With the impacts of the pandemic on mental health discussed frequently, there has never been a greater need for business owners to take some time to think about what they can do to ensure their employees are caring for their well-being. Particularly when working from home, there is an increased risk of isolation and feelings of loneliness. Putting in measures to combat these feelings and others will go a long way and prove to your employees you care about their well-being both as an employer and as a human being.
Offering support to any employees going through a tough time is the first and most important thing any employer can do. Ensuring your employees understand any open-door policies you have in the workplace will encourage them to come forward to talk about any well-being issues they might be experiencing. From here, you will be able to point them in the relevant direction, whether this is internal resources from within your business or using the services of a well-being organization.
Caring about well-being can come in various forms, including the encouragement of a well-being hour within your workplace, providing a time for reflection and to partake in a hobby that brings the individual joy.
4. Fix Anything That Is Broken
This does not mean that you must take the liberty of fixing and repairing things yourself. As a business owner, we understand that you have a whole host of responsibilities. Adding the role of maintenance leader to your list is sure to have a knock-on effect on your other jobs. What’s more, you could create more problems by completing the job yourself, particularly if you do not have an understanding of how best to fix the issue.
Hiring a reliable and experienced repairs company that can fix any issues your company might be experiencing is sure to eliminate this risk entirely while also promoting a safe working environment. The last thing you want is for one of your employees to pick up an injury within the workplace, for which you are liable.
Conducting regular assessments within your business is also recommended when relating to this type of thing. Risk assessments provide you and any relevant parties with the information needed to make informed decisions relating to the safety of your business. With this risk assessment information, you will be able to implement any necessary systems for ensuring a safe workplace for all; however, what constitutes a safe workplace greatly depends on the line of work of the business and the industry in which they lie.
Making changes in the workplace can initially appear like quite the task. While that is the case, using these tips and others will provide you with the foundation from which to work from; you will be going forth with the understanding on what you must do to ensure the safety of your employees, both in the short and long term.
No matter what industry or sector you represent, we hope you have found this piece interesting and insightful. Whether you have discovered safety obstacles within your business and want to tackle them or are looking at ways to prevent them from emerging, we hope you are leaving us with a better idea of what you must do!
