Small Changes to Make Your Employees Safer

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As an employer, you have a legal duty to make sure your employees are safe while they are at work. In some trades, there are obvious dangers, and more care tends to be taken in these. People seem to think if you work in an office, for example, you cannot be injured at work. However, there are some things that no matter what job you do will always present a danger. Here are just a few small changes that can help to keep your workforce safe.

Examine Your Workplace

You need to check the whole of your workplace for hazards and do your best to eliminate any you find. This is known as a risk assessment, and it should cover everything from tiles that have come lose to a broken handrail on the stairs. Many employees involve the staff in this process, as often they will have spotted dangers that the bosses do not.

This can lead to so many small changes, such as stopping staff from leaving bags in walkways at the side of their workstation. They can become an obstruction and someone could easily trip and hurt themselves.

Don’t Forget Employees That Are On The Road

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Not all employees work in a building. Some are delivery drivers, couriers and chauffers. As well as making sure the vehicle they are driving is regularly maintained and safe, you can help them in other ways. If they have to do a light of night driving for instance, LED driving lights, like the ones here, will be easier on their eyes. They give a more even light, which illuminates the road in front of them more clearly.

Whatever The Job, Training Is Vital

Whatever job your employee is doing in your business, proper and adequate training for any tools and equipment they may have to use is vital. In a kitchen situation, there are many ways for workers to be burned or badly cut if they did not use the equipment properly. In a factory, untrained staff can be a danger to others as well as themselves when there is machinery involved. In an office, excessive use of some equipment, such as photocopiers, can damage the eyes and the staff needs to be trained in how to avoid this.

Use Signs

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If there are any dangers at all, may sure there are clear and understandable warning signs, like the ones at this link. A sign pointing our there are stairs behind a door, or that the floor is wet for a while, can help prevent accidents from happening.

These are extra to the signs showing the exit points in an emergency, which you must have by law.

Many of the things that can make your workplace safer are common sense, and already will be implemented. Things like clearing up spillages, keeping the workplace clean and tidy and making sure staff adhere to the rules will already be in place in most work environments. Let your staff know they can come to you with any concerns they have about safety, and make sure you listen to them.

Stay safe!