Whether you’re an employee or business manager, work safety should always be your top priority at your workplace. Perhaps you work on a busy and dusty construction site, or maybe it’s a humble office with a couple of computers. Either way, there are many health and safety considerations to take into account during your daily life.
Many people don’t understand the risks of being injured at work, and it can make our friends and loved ones worry about our safety at our jobs. For example, if you come home from work with a cough every day and you work at a chemical plant, then people might suspect that you’re not being given safety gear or you haven’t been trained properly in health and safety.
This effects and indications can spiral out of control and turn into larger issues than they should be. If you’re a business that handles dangerous chemicals or substances, then your business could be shut down and you’ll be put in jail if you aren’t meeting the health and safety standards in your region. Make sure you understand the health and safety requirements that the law has set and take your employee’s well-being seriously.
Understand the risks of your workplace
Regardless of where you work, you need to understand the potential risks and issues that you might encounter. If your workplace has particular hazards or dangers, then you need to make your staff and co-workers fully aware of what they are and how to avoid those problems. Once you’ve made everyone aware of the hazards, you can work more safely knowing that you and your staff understand the risks in your workplace.
They don’t have to be obvious and immediate dangers either like power tools, it could be something specific such as a loose step on the stairs or a faulty power outlet. Make sure these are disabled if possible, or that warning signs are placed around it. Services like Peninsula’s health and safety solutions can help you identify and warn your staff members and colleagues about the potential issues in your workplace.
Reduce stress
Stressful times will cause our bodies and minds to work inefficiently and recklessly. For example, if you work long hours and have heavy workloads, then you’re more likely to collapse from fatigue or become tired when you drive home—both of which aren’t desirable outcomes. Learn to take mental breaks and tell your boss that you refuse to be overworked. If you’re pushing your staff, then give them some space to breathe because stressed employees are unproductive and might even become frustrated with you after a while.
Straighten your back
Most office furniture and equipment is designed to be ergonomic. This means that it should be comfortable to use and doesn’t add to your stress. For example, a chair should be height adjustable so that you can control the height at which you use a computer or desk. Tables, if you can afford it, should also be adjustable so that your employees can switch between sitting and standing when they need to stretch their legs.
In some cases, you might have to stand for long periods of time or bend your back to lift things. Either way, make sure you take regular breaks to give your back a moment to rest and practice proper lifting so that you don’t end up with a broken back after a day’s work. Whenever possible, use devices or equipment to aid you such as a conveyor belt, winch, or trolley when working with heavy loads.
Learn about safety equipment
If you work in a hazardous workplace, such as a spray painting factory or a chemical plant, then make sure you know how to properly use your safety equipment and how to maintain it. Even if you know how to put the gear on, you might not fully understand how to use it when a situation occurs. Never slack with the process of putting on and maintaining your gear because it’s there for a reason. It’ll save your life and protect you from medical conditions and problems should you encounter them.
If you’re the business owner, then make sure you always have spares for your employees. If your employees request a specific size because their gear is either too small or large, then make sure you listen to those requests because everyone needs to have safety equipment that fits them. If you’re giving helmets that are too small or big for cyclists in your delivery business, then you’re going to be blamed when they have an accident that injures their head because you neglected their safety equipment.