When you first take on staff, you’re bound to have a lot on your mind. Recruitment processes can often feel drawn out and tiring, and by the time you’ve found someone for the position, you may feel that your work is done. But this simply isn’t true. As an employer, you will have an ongoing responsibility over your employee’s overall health, safety, and wellbeing while they are in the workplace and completing tasks for you. This is why it’s extremely important that you understand health and safety precautions and health and safety law. Here’s a little more information on these subjects for you!
Why Is Health and Safety Important?
You take on a position of responsibility when you become an employer. You need to ensure that your staff are safe and well so that they do not become injured or unwell while at work. If they do, this is negative for them and you. They will suffer and you will also lose their input in the workplace, as they will need to take time off to recover. If they have suffered a work injury, they may also take on legal help to create a case against you in the courts, claiming compensation – all which can prove extremely costly for you.
Set Up a Health Management System
You should sincerely consider having a health and safety management system in place. If you have more than five employees, you will need to do more than a briefing – you will also have to have everything written down in a health and safety policy statement, which you should use legal aid to create.
Conduct Risk Assessments
In business, if something is a “risk”, then there’s a significant probability that it will happen. You need to conduct various risk assessments throughout your workplace, so that employees can be aware of any risks involved in tasks requested of them.
Carry Out Risk Control
Once everyone is aware of potential risks, you need to train your employees to deal with them or how to prevent risks from actually occurring. Make sure to train every employee you take on. You should train everyone in every area of risk that they may face. This can be down to things as seemingly simple as lifting and carrying heavy boxes. Also get staff to sign paperwork confirming that they have received the training you have given to them.
Record Incidents
If there are any incidents in the workplace, you need to ensure that they are recorded and reported. This will help to document things that have happened and can serve as a point of reference if any legal cases are brought up against you or your company.
As you can see, health and safety should be a priority in your workplace, both for your employees’ sake and for your sake as well! So, implement the above steps into your business plan and routine, and everything should go as well as possible!