We all know that workplace safety is important. With so many people gathered in one area, the possibility of someone obtaining an injury is quite high. However, ensuring safety in the workplace is easier said than done. There are so many different aspects to it – how do you protect your employees, how do you protect yourself, what do you do if there’s a personal injury case?
Add this to the fact that there are so many rules and regulations to comply with, and it’s easy to see why people get overwhelmed. It can be especially intimidating to face workplace safety when your business is just getting started. That being said, it’s an important factor and it needs to be sorted out. We’ll be discussing some key things to focus on.
Indemnity
What exactly is indemnity? Legally speaking, it’s a type of form that clears you of any responsibility should something go wrong. If you’ve ever gone skydiving or done something similarly risky, you’ve likely had to fill one in. In the workplace, it most commonly refers to indemnity or liability insurance, which is a type of insurance that protects your business from a variety of claims made against it.
Health and safety training
Health and safety training is very important, and it comes in a lot of forms. First of all, it refers to preparing your employees for any life-threatening situations that may occur. This means having fire drills as well as having an employee in charge of first aid – they will need to undergo separate training to learn how to do CPR.
It also refers to training your employees on how to safely do their jobs. This is especially important if your business is in the manual labor industry, as it’s very common for people to get injured on the job due to not having received the proper training.
Have the proper gear and equipment
You can’t expect your employees to be working with equipment or machinery that isn’t in working condition.. Once again, this is a factor that is more applicable to those in the manual labor industry. An example of being irresponsible is to let employees work on faulty forklifts.
You need to have all machinery checked regularly so that you know you are doing the necessary maintenance and replacing certain parts when needed. You also need to supply employees with gear that will protect them. This will differ depending on the job. Construction workers will need certain safety equipment such as helmets, and people working with dangerous chemicals will need protective gloves. In the current age, this can also refer to providing your employees with masks and sanitizer in an attempt to protect them from the Coronavirus.
Implement a buddy system
This is an oldie but a goodie. You never want an employee to be stuck in a dangerous situation with no one knowing where they are. Aside from being traumatic for them, it could lead to severe danger. Make sure that employees are always working in teams of two when it comes to anything even remotely dangerous.
