Post: Tips To Make Sure Your Staff Are Happy And Safe At Work

As a business owner, one of the responsibilities you have is to safeguard employees and keep an eye on their safety and well-being while they are at work. Because there is a large number of people in one area at the same time, injuries occur in the workplace more often than you would expect, and this does not even take into consideration the machinery and equipment in a workplace. You need to be aware of the latest guidelines and rules and find out the answer to does the FCE determine workers comp settlement value, in case your staff asks. 

Although physical health is important, the mental health and well-being of employees is important. 20% of workers state that they suffer from mental health concerns whilst at work.  These can lead them to feel less happy and less motivated, which in turn has an impact on productivity. More crucially, it may jeopardize their safety and those around them.

So how will you ensure the safety and well-being of employees and prevent any big problems or lawsuits from being levied against you?

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Make communication a priority.

Communication is vital in the workplace. It doesn’t just improve levels of safety and well-being but also helped with efficiency and the overall organization of a business. If nobody understands what is going on, it can’t function properly. A typical workplace has somebody who oversees all the day-to-day activities, but one person cannot possibly oversee everything at the same time. Somebody needs to be in charge of health and safety in the workplace. They need to make sure that first aid training is up to date and that the employees have access to all the safety equipment that they need. Establish frequent conversations and make sure that everybody understands what their roles and responsibilities are, and make sure there is somewhere where employees can report any problems that have encountered. 

You also need to make sure that employees feel comfortable and secure enough to come to you or the line manager to discuss any concerns that could potentially have an impact on the safety of themselves and those around them.

Have a clear policy on drugs and alcohol in the workplace.

An employee under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work is unacceptable and dangerous,  as well as being against the law, Make sure that your alcohol and drug policy is clearly laid out in contracts and staff handbooks. Explore the possibility of putting random drug and alcohol testing of employees into place,  as well as reasonable suspicion training for managers. Policies need to spell out what employees should expect in terms of acceptable amounts of drugs and alcohol testing systems what will happen and what if they are found to have these substances in their systems.

Set a standard for clothing

The clothing your employees wear could have a major impact on their level of safety, depending on the industry in which you operate. Having a uniform allows you to standardise the appearance and conduct of your workforce. Should they wear protective gear to the office, such as hard hats, masks, high-visibility clothing, and shoes with steel toe caps? You should also specify whether or not they are allowed to wear jewelry, and if so, what kinds of jewellery they can wear; for example, huge hooped earrings might not be acceptable in a manufacturing setting. Shoes are another something to consider; can they walk in heels? Where do we stand on backless styles? Do your toes hang out? Like any other policy, your company’s stance on clothing should be clearly communicated to employees and updated as needed.

First aid training

There must be a first-aid trained employee on the premises at all times in many jurisdictions and industries. However, it is preferable if as many people as possible have at least some level of first aid training. Although not required by law, having a plan in place to ensure that employees who are wounded during a crisis or tragedy receive prompt medical attention is essential. It’s also important to keep an accident book on available and make sure that everyone knows where it is and how to use it in the event of a workplace injury or accident. Last but not least, make sure there is a well-supplied first aid kit with clean, modern materials readily available for use by everyone who enters your building.

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Tasha

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