Any employer knows the importance of health and safety in the workplace. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that keeping employees safe is essential for a happy environment. If staff fear for their lives, they may not produce their best work.
As such, this is one of the first things most of us tackle. We invest in safety equipment and even hire safety inspectors. Some entrepreneurs go all out with first aid training to ensure they can deal with any situation. Just knowing you’ve done these things will help to put your employee’s minds at ease.
When it comes down to it, though, the above may not be enough to protect you or your team. Each option still leaves some glaring gaps in your safety policy. While it sounds like you’re halfway there, there’s room for improvement. Lucky for you, we have a few pointers to turn your half-health attempts into fully fledged safety procedures.
Demonstrate Equipment
You clearly knew to invest in equipment such as this fall protection gear already. But, what you might not realize is that having this stuff onsite isn’t enough. You also need to show employees how to use it. Even if you provide everything you need to, a lack of training could still leave you open to lawsuits. That’s why you need to give demonstrations to new staff before they start. You should also do randomized spot checks to ensure everyone’s using safety gear the way they should.
Offer First Aid Training For Everyone
It’s fantastic that you took it upon yourself to get first aid trained. But, one trained first aider does not a safe working space make. In reality, the more people who can deal with health emergencies, the better. The fact is that people do get injured at work, and that isn’t always anyone’s fault.
But, even faultless accidents could cause problems if medical treatment is delayed. And, that’s precisely what’ll happen if you’re out of the office for any reason. Instead, then, offer first aid training to your whole team. Some people may choose not to take it, but many will. And, that can help your entire staff feel a lot safer.
Develop An Anonymous Suggestions Scheme
It’s also worth noting that, thus far, you may not have considered how your team feels about your safety efforts. Too often, we as managers storm ahead and assume we’ve got this right. But, your employees are the ones who have to work under these conditions. As such, allowing them to make suggestions is the only real way to get workplace safety 100% in the bag. Of course, not everyone will feel brave enough to come to you with improvements.
That’s why you should set up an anonymous scheme for any health and safety suggestions. You could even send a survey around the office to encourage quiet team members here. By listening to how your team feels, you can tailor safety measures to their need. Few employees could ask for more.