From September 2011 to August 2012 alone, there were 27 million working days lost due to injuries or health issues caused by neglecting health and safety. This can be anything from mental health problems through to back injuries. The really worrying fact is that most of these injuries and health problems could have been avoided if proper health and safety regulations had been adhered to.
Risk management is the key to safety in the workplace. It’s vitally important, and starts with the company identifying hazards. They should survey the workplace, looking for any obvious hazards that might cause problems. Take a shoe shop for example, where the employees have to reach for heavy boxes. Not only should they be aware of the appropriate way in which a heavy box should be retrieved, but they should also be mindful of long-term hazards, such as the problems caused by kneeling on the floor for long periods of time every day whilst they are fitting the shoes, or even constant loud noise that could damage their hearing in the long term. There are also non-routine events, such as dealing with deliveries, where risks should be identified. The well-being of all staff should be taken into consideration, as well as the public. Did you know that even water treatment can be risk assessed too? In certain commercial businesses this is a necessity and we can conduct Legionella risk assessments too.
Once the hazards are identified, it’s important to evaluate them, and decide on ways to resolve them. Sometimes it isn’t possible to completely prevent the risk so you should attempt to control the situation as best you can. For example, to solve reaching for heavy boxes, use a ladder and ensure the staff receive sufficient ladder training. Also, storing the heavier boxes lower down and the lighter boxes higher up will reduce the risk of injury. Wherever possible, avoid storing any boxes out of reach, but if it’s necessary then you should take the necessary precautions. If the floor is old or slippery make sure staff have appropriate footwear, consider getting the floor recoated or invest in a completely new floor. If there has been a spillage then make sure it is cleaned up immediately, and if the floor is being mopped or cleaned, make sure a sign is put up so that everybody that is in the area is fully aware of the risk which will help prevent accidents. First Aid is important too, in case accidents do occur, and the business should have an up-to-date first aid box, which all the staff are informed about and trained to use effectively.
If you employ less than 5 people, then you do not legally need to write any injuries down, but to be safe it is always better to do so. It’s also important to know about the health of the employees – whether they have epilepsy, or back problems for example. Even those who work temporarily in a business, even if it is just for a few weeks, should be properly cared for and receive relevant information about health and safety. Training to deal with fires is also very important, but everyone should know that their safety is more important than the building and belongings.
Updating your company’s regulations is also a key factor to keeping your workplace safe. Recording accidents and learning from them is vital, as well as noticing any problems and improvements that can be made. For any commercial business, these recommendations are essential but applying them may seem like a daunting task.
That’s where we come in. At Robinsons, we complete risk assessments and method statements for all of our major installation works, be it electrical, mechanical or otherwise. All our management team have undertaken IOSH health and safety courses to ensure their knowledge is up to date and they can confidently advise other members of staff. Plus, all of our staff hold CSCS cards. Find out more – get in touch.