Do you know what to do if one of your employees has an accident at work? Are you aware of your responsibilities as an employer when it comes to making sure your premises are and the work environment is safe for those who work there and any customers too?
Making sure you comply with health and safety regulations is essential. not only to protect you should someone have an accident on your premises, but also ensure your employees and customers are working in a safe environment that isn’t going to be harmful to their health. Ignoring or flouting regulations can land you in court and with a hefty fine depending on the severity of the misconduct.
Safety and Health
Safety and health in the workplace is the number one priority when it comes to keeping employees safe regardless of your sector. Make sure your premises are up to code to get your osha certification online. To be compliant you need to make sure you comply with rules such as the following:
- Make sure the workplace is free form hazards
- Give staff full and adequate training when using any equipment
- Provide safety training
- Use colour codes to warn of potential risks and hazards
So how do you make sure you are keeping your premises safe for everyone at all times? As a minimum, you should be putting the following into practice.
Staff Training
This is one of the main ways you can keep your company compliant and reduce the possibility of someone getting hurt at work. Staff training is more than having someone shadow another staff member. They need to be fully trained and assessed on any machinery and equipment they will need to use for their job role. This training needs to be kept up to date on a regular basis.
Keep up to date records of staff training and make sure this is updated regularly to improve employee knowledge and keep them updated of any changes in procedure or should you get new equipment.
Risk Assessments
Undertaking regular risk assessments is a great way to make sure your company is following health and safety regulations as they should be. Creating this position in-house as part of your HR or delegating to a professional third-party company are both viable options. A thorough risk assessment will give you a clear idea of any problems you need to rectify and alert you to possible issues with staff, equipment and building limitations.
Clear and Informative Signage
Everyone needs to be aware of potential hazards, or risks. Clearly labelling them is something that can help others identify problems too. If people are entering an area of loud persistent noise, then protective ear wear should be available along with warning signs to alert people to the sound. Fire exits and escape routes should be clearly signposted so people can easily find their way outside in such an emergency.
The same goes for stairwells, uneven flooring and other issues that could cause injury.
