Not only is it a legal requirement to provide health and safety in the workplace, but it’s also crucial for employee productivity and comfort. In order to get the best out of your team and your business, the working environment needs to be a stable place to work.
Here are 5 methods for making your workplace safer.
- Understand the Requirements for Your Specific Place of Work
Safety procedures naturally vary depending on the business premises you and your staff team are working within. Those businesses whose site contains a manufacturing or warehouse environment will need a host of extra safety measures such as adhesive films from Jessup Manufacturing to encourage non-slip precautions and luminous assistance for safety signs. An office environment will need to encourage health and safety practices regarding correct posture and equipment-related safety.
If you’re ever unsure regarding the correct safety procedures needed for your place of work, especially if you’ve just started a business, then you can always seek a professional inspection and get advice on guidelines.
- Don’t Neglect Mental Health
A lot of heath and safety focus is placed on the physical well-being of employees — but what about mental wellbeing? A workplace should be a safe and welcoming place in every capacity, so be sure to highlight mental health as a priority, too.
Ways to do so include:
- Encouraging regular breaks
- Access to natural light and a comfortable working environment
- Regular performance reviews, especially in the case of providing positive feedback and encouragement
- Building a strong team culture and work ethic
- Have a Clear Health and Safety Policy
Simply having relevant health and safety is of course essential, but the policies also need to be understood and accessible for all staff members. You can have a health and safety policy outlined in a booklet, but if employees don’t understand it or have only skimmed it, they won’t be aware.
You can encourage better health and safety understanding when an employee begins working for the business, and it might help to take a tour and have a designated staff member work through the booklet with them. Essentials include pointing out fire escape points and what to do in emergencies.
- Mandatory Training
Understanding safe working procedures begins with the right training. All staff members should be trained in their particular role and how to fulfil that role in a safe and effective way, both for the business and for themselves. Training should be a requirement as part of an employee’s job role to put a bigger focus on safety, as well as comfort and confidence within a role.
- Ensure Employees Have the Right Equipment
A worker’s role cannot be fulfilled safely if they don’t have the correct equipment, even if that employee has been trained extensively. No matter the industry, whether it’s warehouse equipment such as heavy machinery, or desk equipment such as a keyboard and mouse, there is always a correct and safe version, and this should always be supplied. Faulty or inept equipment leads to a hazardous environment.
