Every business owner needs to ensure that they keep their safety measures and protocols up to scratch as this is essential for protecting your employees and keeping your business open. This can be an area of the business that is sometimes overlooked, though, so keep reading to discover how you can ensure that your safety measures are up to standard.
Setting the Standard
First, it is important to understand that it is down to you to set the standard. You need to consider the way in which you communicate safety measures to your team, so you need to show that you are taking it seriously and that it is important. Show your employees how you are keeping yourself and them safe by demonstrating the procedures you have put in place for everyone in the building as this will show it is a company wide priority. This will also help keep everyone safe by knowing the procedures for everywhere in the building should they not be working in their usual environment.
Consider having regular team talks about safety concerns or updates to keep the line of communication open as this can help you avoid accidents before they happen. Your employees handle the equipment and carry out the tasks daily so they will be able to pick up any areas for improvement, or those of danger, that you may miss. Additionally, make sure that you are providing safety training as the first step for new employees to show that it takes priority and so that they can carry out their role safely from day one.
Check Your Equipment
Accidents often happen because of faulty equipment, which is why it is always important to check your equipment to ensure that it meets industry standards for safety. You also need to regularly replace things like blades and needles on certain types of equipment as well as test the emergency stop button from time to time to prevent safety risks before they become incidents.
If equipment comes with a warranty or parts guarantee, ensure you register this as soon as possible as not only will this ensure any parts can be quickly and easily replaced by the original company, but you are also covered should the equipment break down.
Employee Workwear
You must always make sure that staff have access to high-quality and sufficient PPE. The type of PPE that your staff need will depend on your business operation, but often includes safety glasses, oxygen level testers and ear defenders from places like Arco. It is important that you provide high-quality, industry-standard PPE as cheaper or homemade items may not meet safety regulations and could result in serious injury.
Make sure that employees have their own set of workwear rather than having them share it. Personal workwear will ensure that employees keep it looked after properly as they are solely responsible for this aspect of their safety. This can also help stop the spread of illnesses between employees as it limits the spread of bacteria and viruses.
Work With Industry Professionals
A smart step to ensure that you are always abiding by safety regulations is to maintain close communication with professionals in safety departments. This will help you to stay current with any changes to regulations, get questions that you have answered and allow you to get the best possible advice. It is also helpful to have a safety professional conduct a safety test of your worksite, which will help to identify potential issues and provide peace of mind knowing that everything is above board.
As a business owner, safety needs to be a priority to protect your workers and so that business can continue. These are the key steps to take to ensure that everything is above board and that you are doing all that you can to provide a safe work environment for your team.
