When you’re starting or about to start a new business, there are a million and one things to think about; staffing, products, budget, salaries, vacations, customers, and so much more. However, the one thing that all businesses have in common is that as a business owner, you are obligated to ensure that your premises is safe, your staff are safe, and also your customers too.
With so many different areas to cover when it comes to safety, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or worried about missing something out. Not to worry, we’ve got a basic guide on safety in the workplace for any new start up. Check it out.
Cyber safety.
We’ve all heard the horror stories about hackers and keyloggers on the internet, and a sad fact is that they are still at large and ultimately, nobody is safe as you don’t know when they are going to target you. These days, hackers have strategies that allow them to access files without being noticed unless you’ve got a trained eye, and that’s quite a scary thought especially if you’re storing information that’s confidential to your company. Luckily, there are programs that you can install onto your computer software that can protect you from all sorts of attacks that could hit your computer. While free versions of these services are great, they only cover the basic trojans most of the time. For the sake of your business, invest in complete cyber security so that your business remains safe and you’ve got one less thing to worry about.
Equipment management.
Whether you and your staff members are operating computers or large and dangerous machinery, there is always a risk that machines will fail and become dangerous. Most of the time, injuries from machinery and equipment come from improper training, so ensure that all staff members are trained well on using all types of machinery and equipment for your business. Doing this not only keeps them safe from hurting themselves, but also protects you if the event of a lawsuit comes up as you’ve trained them. You should also make sure that you’re keeping up with your equipment maintenance management so that you can be sure your machinery and equipment is working as it should be. You will often have machinery serviced once a year, but if you noticed any changes, have repairs made to avoid any injuries.
Food safety.
Whether you’ve worked in the catering industry or not, it’s likely that you’ve come across some sort of food safety information. Whether this be at school or taught by parents, the basics are to ensure that your kitchen and everything in it is clean at all times. If you’re running an establishment that will be serving food, make sure that you and all of your staff are aware of rules that apply when it comes to storing food safely. This will include temperatures that your food should stay at and also ensuring that it’s kept away from any chemicals which could potentially make someone unwell. Read up extensively on food safety so that you’ve got all of the information and can avoid any injuries or illnesses.
Hazards in the workplace.
With every workplace there will come hazards. Whether it’s a trailing wire that nobody has bothered to move out of the way, or whether someone is running with scissors, dangers are lurking around every corner. A great way to resolve this matter is by creating a handbook that you and your staff have constant access to as a reminder of safety rules that need to be followed. When you employ members of staff, give them a copy to read and sign so that they can learn all of the safety rules and also so that again, you’re safe if a lawsuit is ever filed. While the safety of human lives is the most important, you should always be thinking about your business being compromised and protecting that too.
Safeguarding your staff members.
When dealing with the general public, you’re immediately at risk of harm from a disgruntled customer. It’s a sad fact that in 2017, 425,000 members of staff were either verbally or physically assaulted by a customer. Make sure that you’ve got a procedure in place if and when the event arises so that you’re able to protect your members of staff from any sort of abuse. It’s always a good idea to have signs around your premises stating that no kind of abuse will be tolerated. Protect your staff members from the risk of being harmed in any way so that they can continue to work happily in their job.
Security cameras.
As a business owner, your business will always be under threat of someone trying to break in and steal products or even money. Unfortunately, you can never tell when someone is planning on trying to break in, so it’s a good idea to invest in security cameras and alarms so that if anyone does attempt a robbery, you and the police are alerted as soon as the alarms go off. Security cameras can help catch the person responsible too. They are also useful for ensuring that everyone in your premises remains safe at all times.
Identity theft.
Finally, we mentioned cyber security earlier, but that can also lead to identity theft when you’re not careful with what you’re entering online. Once you’ve got your cyber security in place, you should also begin thinking about the protection of any information that you’ve got on your members of staff. It’s likely that you’ve got bank details stored somewhere, addresses, and even phone numbers. Be sure to have all of your information kept in a safe place like a physical safe or on a portable hard drive that you keep on you at all times. You can read up on how to prevent identity theft here so that you can take the necessary steps in keeping everyone safe.
