Owning a company comes with a lot of responsibility and stress. Not only do you want the business to be a huge success, but you also want to be sure you’re providing your staff with a safe working environment. Staff shouldn’t be forced to work in a job where they fear for their health and safety. Because if it gets to this point, you can bet the turnover will be massive. So, you’ll have a hard time finding top talent who wants to work with you. You need to ensure workplace safety in your business.
How can you, in fact, make workplace safety a top priority in your business? How to make it crystal clear to everyone involved that there are steps and procedures that need to be followed? It involves more than just putting in safety measures and steps; it’s also a whole new mindset that needs to take shape. Let’s take a look at some of the tips you can use as you move towards making 2021 the year of safety.
Encourage Employees to Come to You with Concerns
Even for the most hands-on and involved business owner, there is just no way to be on top of everything that happens in the company. This is when you need to rely on employees to make observations and bring concerns or issues to you. Employees need to feel comfortable speaking to supervisors and managers. They need to alert them about any practices or procedures that are unsafe and trust that changes will be made.
Employees should never be punished or feel like the “bad person” if they share concerns. Chances are their concerns are valid. They may even have some input on what can be done differently to enhance safety.
Hold Regular Workplace Safety Briefings with Staff
It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of holding regular safety briefings with staff. Whether that is just a quick session with staff once a week or a more in-depth meeting, this is a chance for employees to bring up those concerns they may have, and for you to alert staff of any changes.
Have a Defined Workplace Health and Safety Plan
It’s not enough to just say you want a safe workplace. There needs to be an actual health and safety plan that is written up and put in place. This creates a hard copy that all employees can refer to and sets the standard in the workplace. It also acts as a road map on how to deal with various issues that can pop up.
This year has been a perfect example of why a health and safety plan is so important. In dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces have had to put safety measures in place. They need to ensure that an outbreak doesn’t happen and that workers feel safe and protected on the job.
Create a Workplace Health and Safety Committee
Creating a health and safety committee is also wise, no matter how big or small your company may be. By having a specific committee in place, you know that regular meetings will occur, they will constantly be looking for ways to make the workplace safer, and they may even be in charge of inspections related to safety equipment and practices.
When you are creating this committee, be sure to take the time and effort to pick the right people for the job. This is a highly-detailed and organizing committee, so you want employees that can work well in these types of situations.
Provide Proper Emergency Response Training for Staff
No one wants to think about an emergency taking place, but if you work in a hazardous environment or a dangerous industry, emergencies are unfortunately part of the job. Take for example those working in the mining industry, those who are constantly working with heights, or even in confined spaces. Emergencies aren’t unheard of, and so the staff needs to be prepared on when and how to respond.
In order to make sure that everyone is prepared, it can be wise to hire professional emergency response training services. Parabellum International is just the kind of company that can offer professional high-level emergency response training to your company. Employees will be able to attend the training courses in Perth at a specialized facility. Another option is to use the mobile training module as a remote solution.
Even if you’ve done safety training in the past, it’s wise to do a refresher course on a yearly basis. This is especially important if you have a high turnover or lots of new employees. It just helps to keep everyone up-to-date on all the proper safety procedures.
Place an Emphasis on Keeping the Workplace Clean and Tidy
While this may not seem like a big deal, having a clean and tidy workplace means there are fewer potential accidents waiting to happen. If there is a lot of clutter and things out of place, you can create tripping and falling hazards, obstacles, and barriers, and you make it difficult for people to go about their job in an efficient and safe manner.
Supervisors should make it a priority to encourage all staff to keep things clean and tidy as they go, not allowing for messes to build up in the first place. It’s a habit that can be taught from day one so as not to become an issue down the road.
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Provide Employees with the Proper Safety Gear and Clothing
This particular tip won’t apply to all businesses, but in many industries, specific safety gear and clothing should be worn for employees. It’s wise to take the steps as a responsible employer to supply this gear to employees and ensure that it’s up to code and in good shape. This can include items like hard hats, protective eyewear, reflective clothing, safety harnesses, and so forth.
So, as you look to set goals for your company in 2021, why not consider safety a top priority and ensure that you’re taking all the possible steps you can?
