Accidents happen all the time and they can happen absolutely anywhere, even at work. According to HSE (Health and Safety Executive), in the 2011/2012 health and safety statistics, 1.1 million workers have suffered from a work-related illness. You are responsible for the health and safety of every single one of your employees while they are at work, so what can you do to reduce the risks around your workplace?

Training

Both you and your staff should be fully trained for health and safety purposes. You should all be trained to use the equipment around the workplace, whether you are working in a warehouse or an office; there are always risks, but you would be reducing these risks by fully training your staff. Most injuries in the workplace are caused by moving vehicles or objects and falling from heights; if all of these members of staff were fully trained to use the equipment, then accidents would have been less likely. Training is not always going to prevent accidents, but it will certainly make a difference. As well as work equipment, you should all be trained to use safety items, such as fire extinguishers. Everyone should know exactly where the safety equipment is located just in case of any accidents.

Asbestos Survey

Does the building you work in contain asbestos? If you are unsure, then you should definitely have it checked because any building built before the year 2000 could potentially contain asbestos. Some materials used for building purposes before 2000 may contain asbestos. If you are exposed to it, it can potentially cause deadly diseases, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer, and in fact, it is the leading cause of work-related deaths in the UK; according to a personal injury site, these diseases are caused by the ‘inhalation of asbestos fibres’. This is why you should find an asbestos surveyor to carry out a survey. Keep yourself and all of your workers safe.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are a legal requirement for employers. Just by carrying out a simple risk assessment, you will have reduced the chances of an accident and injury in the workplace. Within your risk assessment you should include fire risks; you can even find someone in your area that can come out and perform a fire risk assessment because you must meet the Fire Safety Order. By being aware of any risks in your workplace, you have a chance to inform your employees of any potential dangers and you will be able to make changes to ensure the prevention of any accidents or injuries.

Carbon Monoxide Testing

Without actually testing whether your workplace contains Carbon Monoxide, you are probably not likely to know if it is present. However, there are a few signs that Carbon Monoxide is present, for example, you might have more condensation on windows than usual or there might be yellow staining around appliances. Carbon Monoxide is a very poisonous gas that can cause a number of deaths every year in the UK, so you should invest in a carbon monoxide detector; something as simple as this could save lives.

You can make your workplace safer just by doing some of the simple things listed above; you can instantly begin to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries for you and your employees. Also, make sure all members of staff report any accidents at work and are aware of the health and safety rules and procedures because you do not want to be held responsible for any accidents or injuries that occur whilst you are in charge.

About the Author: Ericka is an injury advice lawyer and she deals with many work-related accident and injury cases. She is also passionate about writing and business and often contributes to http://www.businesswinners.net