How to create a safe environment for your employees

If you’re running a business that employs staff, then their safety should always be your number one priority. Depending on the type of business you run, you may also have visiting customers or clients too, which makes it even more important that your premises are as safe as it possibly can be. Depending on the type of business you run, the measures you take will vary, but there are a few things that every business owner can do to keep everybody safe.

Carry out regular risk assessments

It’s really important to carry out regular risk assessments of all areas of your premises. If you’re not sure where to start with this, then there are plenty of courses available to get you up to speed. But you need to think about every scenario – whether it’s the safety of your visitors crossing your car park, or your staff walking through a busy warehouse to get to the toilet block, you need to make sure that everybody is as safe as possible at all times.

Install handrails where necessary

Many warehouses are adapted to include an office space, and that might mean that office staff regularly have to step straight out into the warehouse – that was certainly the case in my last place of work! The office I worked in had one door in and out, and that went straight into the warehouse where there were forklift trucks whizzing around carrying heavy pallets. It would have been a good idea for my employer to install some kind of barrier such as GRP handrails so that we had some level of protection when we stepped out of the office.

Use high visibility jackets

When warehouse staff are busy moving pallets around and loading trucks, they need to be able to easily spot people moving through the warehouse. It’s a good idea to insist that staff always wear high visibility jackets when moving around any high risk areas so that they are less likely to be missed!

Office staff could keep these at their desks or hung up in the office so that they are readily available should they need to step out into any hazardous areas.

Carry out regular fire drills

Fire drills aren’t just for schools, they should be regularly carried out in places of work so that all staff are familiar with exactly what they need to do in the event of a real fire. There should be clearly displayed fire evacuation procedures in place too, so that visitors can familiarise themselves with where to go if the fire alarm goes off. It’s also worth insisting that everybody signs in and out of the premises so that it’s really quick and easy to make sure that everybody has managed to get safely out of the building.

No matter how big or small your business, making sure that everybody is safe is something that should be built into your routine. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated, but you must have systems in place so that everybody knows what’s expected of them and what to do in the event of an emergency.

*This is a collaborative post.