It’s crucial to make sure that your employees are safe and happy within your business working environments. This is both a legal and moral obligation that employers need to follow, and it should always be a top priority for business owners. If you have recently started a business, or believe that your current workspaces could use improvement, here are some key things you need to focus on if you want to create a safe working environment.
Employee Handbooks
When you hire a new staff member, make sure that they are receiving a copy of the employee handbook for your company. Not only should your handbook include information on how they can contact HR for holidays, sick pay, and so on, but it should also outline the health and safety procedures every team member needs to follow at work. Quality training must also be provided, particularly if your staff members are operating machinery or doing other kinds of labor work like heavy lifting.
Insurance
It is a legal requirement for businesses to have insurance before they begin trading, and it’s your responsibility to make sure your policy covers all the relevant areas for your business operations. This includes public liability, theft or damage to equipment, employer’s liability, and professional indemnity. It’s also worth looking into specialist cover for your specific business. For example, if you work in construction or manufacturing, there will be other types of cover that are relevant to you but might not be for a marketing agency.
Hire a Consultancy Firm
Another useful tip to help you make sure your working environments are safe is by hiring a consultancy firm that can act as a fresh pair of eyes to see where there are areas that need improving. This firm that offers warehouse 5s consultancy, for example, can assist you in improving your warehouse operations and organization for better results and a safer workspace for your employees.
Signposting
You should also look at how well your offices or other workspaces are signposted when it comes to health and safety. For example, wet floor signs or signs on the door indicating restricted and dangerous areas are a must. If your business is within the catering and hospitality industry, signs in the food preparation areas indicating how to use equipment properly and to prevent cross-contamination are essential and should always be clear and easy to read.
Stay Updated on Employment Laws
Creating a safe working environment isn’t just about making sure that people understand how to use equipment or having signposting to indicate hazards, but also looking after the emotional and mental well-being of your staff. Harassment and discrimination are illegal but that doesn’t mean that these issues aren’t apparent in the workplace. This is why you must keep updated with employee laws and discrimination laws to ensure that everyone is treated fairly within your company, and no one suffers abuse or is made to feel discriminated against at work.
If you want to create a better, safer working environment for your employees, consider the suggestions above as these are all essential to making this happen.