HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

 

Over the past decade, the seriousness and impact of health and safety in the workplace have risen, particularly over the past year according to the latest figures released by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive). Above all, the construction and manufacturing industry has seen an increase in the number of fatal injuries over the past year alone. These figures are released following the latest news of the death of a construction worker on the site of the Olympic Village, London.

With more accidents happening and the increase in employees making claims against their employers, every step should be taken to ensure that the workplace is not only safe but comfortable to work in. You have a duty as an employer to make the area of work suitable and safe. This includes maintaining a comfortable temperature, humidity, lighting, and ventilation in the workplace.

To help in what can be a difficult task, health and safety consultants can be called in to ensure that every aspect of the workplace has been assessed to be safe and is meeting all current health and safety regulations. Health and safety companies specialize in making any business operate safely, including areas such as offices and more hazardous areas such as labs or technician’s studios.

As an employee, you also must report any issue to your employer or health and safety consultant. It is best to allocate the job to someone within the company so that they can focus on ensuring everything is safe and working well. However, as an employee, you still need to ensure that you raise awareness if anything is looking unsafe, especially in the cases of those whose job involves operating machinery or equipment. This usually forms part of your employment contract.

To keep everything ticking over safely, a health and safety risk assessment should be conducted every six months. This is where one employer or your health and safety consultant takes a walk around the site – including unused areas outside or inside – and looks out for potentially harmful or dangerous issues. They will also look out for trip hazards.

By making sure risk assessment is carried out every few months, particularly in those companies which work with a lot of machinery, you can ensure everything is kept safe. Not only does this mean a workplace is kept safe, but it also promotes an image of an employer who cares about the welfare of its employees.

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