Where should you begin ?
Safety is an inherent part of any business and should be a constant factor in your management policy not just to be applied when cashflow is good and you have enough time. Safety should be a part of every decision you make with regards to your business and you should remember that as head of a company it will be you held responsible if anything should go wrong. The first step that anyone should take is to decide which parts of your business need attention with regard to health and safety. Generally this will involve the following elements:
The Workplace
All buildings should be structurally sound with adequate means of egress in case of fire or other emergency. There should also be attention given to to the environment in which your employees must work e.g.. temperature, ventilation, noise etc.
Dangerous substances
You should make sure that any substances that you use which may cause any kind of hazard are used with the proper precautions and with proper reference to the regulations that apply to them if any exist.
Machinery
Any machinery should be safely guarded and a safe system of work be set in place (this means a recognised procedure for using that particular equipment). For most types of machinery there are recognised levels of competency expected from operators and set guidelines for the frequency and depth of inspections however as a rule all machinery should be safely designed, used only by those who have been properly trained and inspected regularly by a competent person for faults.
Storage and handling
Excessive manual handling of goods, particularly heavy goods, should always be avoided however any lifting which must occur on a regular basis should be carried out according to a method statement and proper manual handling training should be given to avoid risks. You should also make sure that you pay heed to any regulations which might cover any materials which you store and possess any relevant licenses.
Most firms will now need a health and safety policy which will lay down certain standards for any work which may be carried out by your company. The policy must cover all issues from the simplest, eg. will you allow your employees to smoke anywhere on the premises, to the more complicated, eg exact method statements for carrying out specific tasks. This policy must be constantly reviewed and updated as the work of your compnay evolves and it is advisable to enlist the help of some sort of health and safety practitioner at various stages to make sure that the right knowledge is being applied. You must not only go out of your way to prevent accidents from happening but also to have specific procedures in place to deal with them if they should occur.
This page is sponsored by Professional Health and Safety Consultants Ltd.63 65 Penge Road South Norwood London SE25 4EJ. Phone Internationally: +44 20 87787838 or UK London 020 8778 7838 for all your health and safety requirements.