As an employer, you have a duty of care to your employees and anybody under your employ. Plus, you need to keep the people who enter your premises safe, whether you pay them or not. Every boss understands their responsibility. However, the sticking point isn’t the fact that you must keep your workers secure – it’s the cost.
For the most part, the latest trends and tools that ensure health and safety in the workplace is bulletproof are expensive. With few resources to go around, it’s not easy to funnel funds to the right places. As a result, it’s not rare for employers to cut corners or fail to go the extra mile.
However, health and safety don’t have to set you back a small fortune. In some instances, there’s no reason to pay a penny, and when you do, you can limit the damage. All you need to know is the following.
Signage Is Essential
Part of the problem with workplace injuries is that people don’t understand the danger, or they aren’t aware of the risk in the first place. With this in mind, you should invest in comprehensive signage so that there is no way anybody can plead ignorance. A wet floor cone is basic and affordable, but it does an incredible job of raising awareness.
If you have screens installed in your office, you can turn them into information points so that employees are never far away from the latest news. Alternatively, the company’s intranet is ideal for sending out info that workers require to keep themselves safe, as are corporate email accounts.
The key with signage is to act as quickly as possible to ensure that there is very little risk to health and wellbeing. Once you know there is an issue, you should converse with the management and craft a speedy-yet-effective solution.
Voluntary Certifications Cost Nothing
When it comes to health and safety equipment, you want the best you can afford. Even if the price is high, you’ll save money in the long run if you can prevent repairs and maintenance expenses, as well as the costs involved in a workplace injury lawsuit.
It’s tough to figure out which supplier to use because there are a plethora of them, especially if you use the internet to search for safety-related gear. An excellent tip is to opt for suppliers that offer voluntary certifications. The ANSI, for example, is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the safety and health of consumers. However, it’s not a legal requirement. Learn more here.
Why is that important? The answer is simple – you can trust the integrity of the product. Yet, because the regulator is voluntary, you won’t pay over the odds. It’s the supplier’s prerogative, not yours.
People Want Responsibility
The role of “Health & Safety Officer” is becoming more and more popular in modern workspaces. The reason is that it kills two birds with a single stone. For starters, you need people to communicate when they spot potential safety issues that must be fixed. If they don’t, you won’t be able to respond asap.
Secondly, the position isn’t generally paid, but this isn’t a problem because people love to take on extra responsibility. Colleagues are competitive and driven to succeed, so some will grab any opportunity to highlight their worth to the management team. As a result, you can trust your health & safety officer to have their finger on the pulse of the office.
Even better, you get to delegate the responsibility to this person, allowing you to concentrate on other areas of the business that require your attention. Of course, you’ve got to choose the right person for the role, which could include hiring a candidate with medical or first-aid training.
You Have Sponsorship Contacts
One way to reduce injuries and accidents in the workplace is to promote a healthy lifestyle. Workers who eat a balanced diet, get up to seven hours of sleep per night, and exercise regularly are more likely to be focused. They won’t lose their concentration if they’re full of energy.
You may think that pushing a holistic routine costs money, but not if you utilize your contacts. Asking a gym to provide employees with a free or discounted membership is a perfect way to encourage your staff to invest in their health and bump up the gym’s brand. After all, it’s all about word of mouth and positive PR.
You shouldn’t be scared to ask your contacts for favours. That’s how networking works and why it’s one of the most powerful business tools at your disposal.
- DISCLOSURE – This post has been written by an outside source
