When you start a business there are a lot of responsibilities you take on as the owner. When you get big enough to take on employees, whether it be one person or 300 people, their health and wellbeing during work hours are your responsibility. You need to make sure they not only are they staying safe, but they have the correct training for whatever job they’re doing. It doesn’t matter if they cut themselves with a pair of scissors or get injured while using a piece of machinery. Taking the appropriate steps to look after your employees will create a safe and fun work environment. Here’s how you can keep safety the main priority on the job:
● Risk Assessments: Go over everything in your business from the building it’s located to the machines used, and figure out where there are risks. Is there a spot where they can trip on the ground, is there something stacked incorrectly, is there an area where water might end up on the floor, etc.? Take note of everything and see where you can make changes as well as communicating with your employees so they know what to do or avoid as they work.
● Create a Health & Safety Policy: This policy will help your employees know exactly what to do if something should happen on the job. While you never want an employee to get hurt, accidents do happen. You have to plan for something to happen so if it does you and your employees know how the situation will be handled. Every employee needs to understand what the policies are from the very beginning.
● Get Advice From Experts: There may be things that you may miss, or you might be concerned you’ve missed something important in your initial check. The best option is to get a second opinion. They can visit your business or you could take courses to get more familiar with policies. Not only will you get more information to help out, but it will show your employees that you care for their wellbeing.
● Perform Regular Drills: Sometimes just reading over the policies doesn’t always click. Have your team perform drills to make sure that they know what to do if something does happen. It could be a fire drill, if something happens with one of the vehicles like a forklift, if something gets knocked over, and more. The more your employees are prepared, the more comfortable they will be if something happens.
● Create A Welcoming Workplace: No one wants to work where they’re uncomfortable. Whether they’re at the job because they genuinely enjoy what they do or it’s just a paycheck, each employee should be treated with the same understanding and respect as the next. As the boss, it’s up to you to create that calm, relaxing environment. There are times where it’s going to be stressful, but you’d be amazed how willing your employees will be to do things when they know you have their back and care about their wellbeing. Even the employees there just to collect a paycheck will step up their game.
● Reward For Awesome Behavior: Everyone loves an incentive. Rewarding your employees for keeping up with their work, being safe, and having a great attitude while doing it is a great way to boost morale. This reward could be a bonus in their paycheck, having a party or “happy hour,” getting to leave early for the day, etc. These rewards are another way to show how much you as the boss truly appreciate your employees.
