It’s your responsibility to keep your employees safe when they are at work. If they are working on premises that you own, or even rent, you have a duty of care. This duty of care might even extend when they are off the premises but still completing a job for you. However, you should mainly be aware of this duty of care if you are running a dangerous environment such as a factory or an industrial estate.
In this case, there are so many things that can go wrong that it can seem impossible to protect all your workers at once. Yet, it is important that you do succeed. If you don’t, your company may well face an expensive lawsuit that you won’t be able to afford. PI claims can range into the hundreds of thousands if they are serious enough.
Provide The Right Safety Equipment
You must make sure that you are providing the right safety equipment to your employees as well as the correct protective clothing. If you don’t, you could be charged with being negligent when running your business. You might be operating a hydraulic plant, or running a property with industrial equipment. If that’s the case, all your workers should be provided a fluid power glove.
Fluid power gloves will protect workers from fluid injection injuries. These injuries can be life threatening or even fatal. It is just one example of the danger your workers might be facing each day.
Avoid Hazards
Your work premises should be checked each day for any hazards that might cause an accident. This could be a flickering light in a stairwell or a loose wire that someone could trip over. It might be a puddle on the floor or a dangerous substance that has not been clearly marked.
There are countless issues that could be classed as hazards in the workplace. This is why you should appoint health and safety officers. They will check your workplace regularly for you. They will make sure there are no hazards and fix any that they might see.
Check Equipment
You should check the safety equipment on your property regularly. Remember, that sprinklers are designed to reduce the impact of a fire. However, if they are old and corroded, they may not be as effective. This could result in damage to your property or even loss of life.
It’s not just safety equipment that you should be checking either. You should be checking all the equipment in your business on an annual basis, at least. Do not make the mistake of neglecting this responsibility. If you do, there’s a good chance that a faulty piece of equipment will cause an accident, and you will be held accountable.
Train Your Employees
Lastly, one of the best ways to reduce the risk of an accident in your workplace is to ensure that your employees are properly trained. By correctly training your employees you will help them to identify hazards themselves and make sure that they are protected. It is a fallacy to say that employees are looking to be injured at work, and many will avoid it at all costs.
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