As an employer, you are responsible for the health and safety of each of your employees.
Whether they primarily work in an office, or they have a role that requires them to work outdoors, you are ultimately responsible if they get sunburn, or prolonged back problems.
Even for startups, health and safety is important because it can affect your reputation and your insurance costs. Here are just a few things you can do to make your employees a little bit safer.
Clean and tidy office
If your office space is packed with old magazines, boxes, and other miscellaneous items, you’re not off to a great start.
Not only are you asking for an accident to happen with all these tripping hazards, but you’re not presenting a professional image to your employees and customers.
Filing documents properly, or going paperless altogether, will significantly reduce the amount of time you spend looking for what you need.
Your employees shouldn’t fear being crushed and suffocated by a mountain of paperwork before they’ve even started on their own work.
Protective gear
People who work outdoors have the most varied office environment that anyone could imagine. While some office workers might complain about heatwaves in the middle of summer, construction workers are at the highest risk for sun exposure, heat stress, and serious sun stroke.
Keeping the workers safe is relatively simple; protective gear must be worn at all times, adequate training must be given before anyone operates heavy machinery, and everyone should have some basic risk assessment training.
Back support
No matter where they work or what they do for a living, many employees complain about back problems. People who work in factories, construction, and even retail often have to do a lot of heavy lifting, which increases the risk of slipped discs and pulled muscles.
Consulting industrial conveyor manufacturers about installing transport systems in factories will go a long way towards reducing the risk of back problems, and it might lead to more energised workers.
Even people who work in an office aren’t safe from back problems. When buying the office furniture, employers should pay particular attention to the chairs.
Each chair should be comfortable enough to spend a few hours sitting in it, the height and backrest should be adjustable to accommodate individual comfort, and they should have arm rests at a 90 degree angle.
Open door policy
Some health and safety risks aren’t physical, or even obvious. Sometimes an employee is at risk because of their coworkers or their superiors.
Each member of staff needs to know that you have an open door policy, and that you will take their complaints seriously. They also need to know that, should a complaint be made about them, they will be heard impartially.
It’s a tough act to juggle, but it means a lot to have a boss who listens, doesn’t judge, and brings about a fair conclusion to internal conflict. In the long run, this will always ensure a positive work environment.
