Many businesses across the UK are working with less than satisfactory conditions in their work environment. This means they are not only illegally putting their workers in danger but they are also not providing the best environment in which their organisation can grow.
People say, “happy wife, happy life” but in the office it is all about having happy employees, which in turn makes your organisation the best it can be.
But is your organisation equipped to work safely?
Risk Assessment
First things first, when making sure that your organisation is equipped to work safely is to make sure that you undertake a risk assessment of your business.
Once you have done this you can contact a Health and Safety Consultancy company that can work with you to identify the best possible options for managing these risks. If you run a mining operation, you may be required to provide msha new miner training to every worker and there are companies who can help you train your employees.
Control Noise Pollution
Working on building or construction sites, it is hard to remember that one of the biggest health and safety issues is noise pollution. In the UK alone it is reported that around 17,000 a year report ringing in the ears, deafness or other conditions which are caused by excessive noise at work.
Even if your work environment is an office or indoor area, you need to remember that you and your employees could still be surrounded by noise. People talking, on the phone, typing, shouting and any other noise can cause lasting damage if it becomes a constant problem.
In order to alleviate this problem you need to make sure that you are monitoring noise in your organisation. This doesn’t mean you have to get the noise police involved but recognising possible issues is a great place to start.
Revision Of Fire Procedures
Most importantly when making the workplace safe is the safety of your employees. This means they need to know the fire safety procedures.
Take the time to go through the fire drill, label all fire exits and have designated fire marshals that are able to get all your staff off-site in case of an emergency. You need to also remember that new employees will not know about the nearest exit or the best place to stand if there is a fire evacuation. This is something you need to remember to inform them about when they first start out at the company.
You should also ensure that your business is fitted with the correct equipment in case of a fire, such as fire extinguishers, Fire Hose Accessories, and fire alarms. This should prevent any dangerous and fatal injuries from a fire, therefore your staff will feel safer at work! You can hire a company to come into your business to fit these fire prevention measures if you are unable to do this yourself. These companies are not just based in the UK, so if you’re a USA based business, you will be able to use a firm like Industrial Fire in Harris County to help with any fire prevention you may need.
First Aid Training
Important for all organisations is the appropriate first aid training and equipment. This means you have people that a trained to deal with any medical emergencies.
First aid trained professionals are something you should look for on a CV and ask your health and safety consultancy company about. You can also run sessions which will allow your staff to be trained up as to what to do in many different kinds of emergencies.
Encourage Discussion In The Workplace
On top of providing space for your staff to be trained in first aid, it is essential that you make sure that they know that if they see any potential risks or issues in the workplace, they feel they can come to you and talk about them. This might mean you should arrange monthly meetings and other chances for your staff to voice opinions.
All that is left to do is get to it, work on bettering your organisation starting with the improvement of Health and Safety.