The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 has enshrined workers’ health and safety rights, and employer responsibilities in the same regard, for decades.
As a business, then, health and safety is a fundamental responsibility – one that protects your employees from harm, and that protects your organization from potential liabilities.
By implementing the right safety measures, you can create a secure working environment that reduces the risk of accidents while promoting the well-being of your entire staff cohort.
This can have positive impacts on employee satisfaction and productivity, as well as ensuring legal compliance and minimizing costs from civil claims. What, then, are some essential safety practices to review and put in place as a business?
Building Maintenance
Keeping your business’ physical infrastructure in good repair is vital to guaranteeing safety for staff tasked with working within it. Regular inspections should be conducted to identify and address any structural issues, whether deteriorating walls, leaking roofs, subsidence, or dampness.
Any issues found should be dealt with promptly; this also stands for fixtures and fittings such as doors, windows, stairs, and handrails.
Maintaining a Reasonable Working Temperature
In addressing the fundaments of your business premises, it is also important to touch on comfort within working spaces. Maintaining a reasonable working temperature is one important aspect in this regard, with the recommended minimum internal temperature being around 16 degrees unless impractical to achieve.
This can be achieved in a majority of general working spaces, though, through updating the insulation in internal and cavity walls and installing effective and efficient heating and ventilation systems for regulating temperatures further.
Providing Appropriate Safety Equipment
It is your business’ legal obligation to provide appropriate safety equipment for tasks and situations that workers may encounter. This naturally includes personal protective equipment (PPE), which is often typified as construction workwear such as helmets, goggles, gloves, and safety footwear.
However, no business is exempt from PPE law, and the widespread use of masks during the Covid-19 pandemic serves as a strong reminder of this.
Fall Prevention Measures
Specific premises, environments, or work sites might present specific hazards, such as high platforms or ledges. Working at height is such a risk that a separate law was introduced to litigate employer responsibilities for ensuring worker safety.
Precautions to prevent falls from open edges come in the form of fencing, guardrails, or barriers around such edges, and the provision of specialized PPE like harnesses to secure workers to their posts. Physical barriers are effective at preventing falls but also need to be maintained alongside building infrastructure.
Adequate Lighting
Providing a good level of local lighting at workstations is essential for visibility, reducing the risk of accidents and occupational injuries in the process. This is just as true for administrative environments as it is for trade environments, as low lighting can cause eye strain and migraines.
Installing appropriate lighting fixtures, such as overhead lights or task lights, can ensure that all employees are catered to and that they can perform their tasks safely and effectively.
