Health and safety at work is an extremely important element to consider in your business these days. There are the health and safety procedures and rules that have been brought down by the government, and then there are the ones that you implement yourself. Having a health and safety regiment at work, which is lax, can open you up to a lawsuit. It is in your best interest to stay on top of health and safety. We have given this some thought, and here are some tips to ensure your company meets the set requirements.
Create a health and safety (H&S) policy
It is a good idea to set down in writing what your H&S policy is. If the policy exists in black and white, everyone will know how to look after the staff and themselves. You can create a rule book and a way to behave, how to lift things, for example. Part of the policy could be to create a culture where staff is expected to indicate and H&S problems, such as a raised piece of carpet. It is your responsibility to get managers and supervisors to relay this information to all members of staff.
Have a health and safety officer
Appoint someone whose duty it is to ensure all the H&S rules are being adhered to. This person could do this as part of their ordinary job, or full time depending on the size of your company. The H&S employee will see to it that the policy is complied with and keep up to date on government regulations. The person needs to be a keen employee whose attention to detail is paramount.
Ensure equipment is up to the job
You will need to employ maintenance people who can make sure that all appliances are safe and up to the job in hand. As part of your policy, you will need to include regular checks of anything electrical, and mechanical. Also think about seasonal conditions, such as the car park when it snows, or if you are a farmer think about winter maintenance agricultural equipment. Do not allow anything to be left to chance, as it is in those places that the lawsuits come in.
Risk assessment
As part of the overall policy, you will need to conduct a thorough risk assessment of your workplace. This is to ensure that you and your staff are protected. It is essential to go around the workplace with your designated H&S officer and identify all the potential risks. Then you can work on mitigating the risk and incorporating this into the policy. Staff needs to be aware of risks, or else you are left vulnerable. Risks and be organised into low, medium and high, and you can identify which staff are going to be affected by them. Any risks that are part and parcel of the job need to be properly assessed and added to the policy. Ensure that you conduct a thorough risk assessment often, as things change.
