Protecting your employees in a busy workplace

A busy workplace is a fun environment, the fast paced atmosphere is contagious and the day speeds by as people focus on the job at hand. However, this type of working scene can also be susceptible to accidents and injuries, because of the pace tasks are being completed. Therefore, it’s important you take some time to look at your procedures and health and safety policies already in place to ensure your employees are protected. Here are a few things to consider:

Do you have a first aider and first aid box?

If an injury should occur, it’s important you have a responsive first aider with the equipment they need to patch that employee up. This helpful calculator from St John’s Ambulance can help you work out how many first aiders you need for the amount of employees in your care. You must also ensure you have a good amount of high quality medical supplies in the workplace, that are easy to access and use.

When was the last time your employees undertook refresher training?

Regular, refresher health and safety training is important in a busy working environment. It ensures everyone knows how to conduct themselves while completing tasks and can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and injury. It also ensures you, as an employer, are adhering to health and safety regulations and should any issues occur you can confirm people were correctly trained.

Do you have the right PPE and protective equipment in place?

PPE and protective equipment is important when employees are dealing with hazardous substances or working in dangerous environments. Construction workers must wear hard helmets and hi-vis clothing to ensure they are protected on site, while anyone working with chemicals should have thick, protective gloves on at all times.

Is the work environment well ventilated?

Ventilation is important in every working environment, it helps to ensure temperatures are kept consistent in an office while, for those working with hazardous chemicals, ventilation allows harmful substances to be filtered out. The ventilation you need depends on the industry but for most it simply means having access to windows that can be open.

Have you conducted a risk assessment and implemented any flagged changes?

Risk assessments are important, they allow you to spot hazards before they are able to cause issues later down the line and anything identified as a risk must be rectified straight away, to ensure everyone is protected in a busy workplace. Look out for things such as trip hazards in walkways, the servicing record for key pieces of equipment and the fire safety system in place.

A busy workplace and its employees can be easily protected, just by implementing some of these things. Check your policies and the environment being worked in with a fine tooth comb, ensure you understand what you are legally obligated to supply (and/or improve) and ensure employees are protected at all times while on the job.