
Don’t Slip Up When It Comes To Trips And Falls At Work
Did you know that businesses have to foot a bill of around £512 million every single year because of people slipping up or tripping over? It can seem as though…
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After all the fireworks, champagne and party nibbles settle – it’s time to crack on ahead with 2017, with some fresh new resolutions.
The past year has seen plenty of health and safety headlines – so let’s make this year the safest one yet! And to get you started, here are a few helpful resolutions to keep in mind.
It’s easy enough to give a lot of bluster about the importance of health and safety – but are you all talk?
Having an awareness campaign for colleagues, workers or clients sounds like a great initiative, and it is. But follow it through with practical efforts to make sure your workplace is a safer one – from putting actionable plans in place, to making sure the relevant people have the skills they need to stay safe.
Reporting any information about potential hazards and risks, or incidents and accidents that have taken place is an essential part of keeping a workplace safe.
Of course, sharing information is only the start. Once a problem has been brought to attention, it’s no good burying your head in the sand! Create a plan to tackle it, and put it into motion.
Managing risks regularly and accurately is a key part of health and safety, and to do that, it means carrying out risk assessments on a consistent basis.
Not sure how to go about it? Check out the HSE’s Risk Assessment resources online – there’s plenty of detailed information and guidance sheets for different industries. Check out what is most relevant to you, and get stuck into the case studies to help put things into context.
Shortcuts are pretty tempting.
They’re also the biggest factor behind most of the accidents and injuries that take place in workplaces across the UK.
From failing to wear proper protective gear for a few minutes, to not sorting out that nagging little fault on a machine, those shortcuts can end up being seriously costly when they lead to an accident – or even worse, a fatality.
So make it an important resolution – don’t cut corners or avoid dealing with issues, however trivial they might appear at first.
Sharing health and safety responsibilities is key to making sure the whole team stays safe.
And to do that, it means recognising strengths and competency at different tasks, and making sure the right person is on the job.
Whether it’s working at heights or overseeing specialist equipment, most workplace activities require having a qualified or competent person supervising others.
If you don’t have someone who is qualified for the job in hand, then once again, don’t try to cut corners. Invest in proper training – your safety record will thank you for it.
Go into 2017 with a pro-active attitude to safety:
What will your resolutions for 2017 be? Share them with us in the comments!
I hope you found this article useful.
If you did, you’ll be pleased to know that we provide regular how-to’s and industry guidance for businesses in construction, for free, a few times a month on Veritas Consulting Blog. You can have them delivered straight to your inbox.
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