5 Signs You Haven't Taken Your Office's Health & Safety Seriously

You have a legal duty to ensure the safety of your employees, customers, and visitors to your premises. The sad truth is, some employers aren’t taking their office’s health and safety seriously, and it can sometimes result in catastrophic consequences.

Most business owners don’t deliberately steer clear of their health and safety obligations. However, some entrepreneurs may not be aware of what those obligations are and what they are supposed to do about them.

If any of the following five points don’t apply to you, the good news is you have taken your office’s health and safety seriously. Of course, if at least one of them applies, it’s time to go through your safety procedures and find out where you’re going wrong:

1. No-One Knows What to Do in Emergencies

Your business needs to have a plan of what will happen in emergencies, such as if a fire breaks out somewhere. For example, who is in charge of directing people to emergency exits, and where should everyone assemble outside of the building?

You will also need a designated first-aider that can log accidents, assist people if they’ve been injured, and take regular first aid training courses.

2. Your Emergency Exits Are Unsafe

Do you have people working in more than one storey at your premises? If so, how safe are external emergency exits? If metal staircases look corroded and dilapidated, for example, you’ll need to have a welding crew come over and repair them.

It might make to have replacements constructed out of new and reinforced sheet metal, for example, if the old ones cannot bear any weight due to corrosion.

The structural benefits of steel plate stairs newly installed at your premises far outweigh the potential litigation and danger to life issues caused by collapsing old rusty metalwork.

3. You Have No Health and Safety Budget

Health and safety isn’t just about making sure people know where to go in an emergency or ensuring that emergency exits are accessible. Health and safety is an investment that provides long-term benefits to you, your business, and your employees.

For example, regular training for employees ensures they know how to lift things correctly and understand why they should keep their workstations clean and clear of clutter.

4. You Have High Accident Rates

Does it seem like workplace injuries are a common theme at your business premises? If so, that is a strong warning sign that something is amiss, and you need to address the problems urgently. 

Your high accident rates could be down to poor lighting, ventilation or even sanitation. You should conduct a thorough health and safety survey of your business so you know what to resolve and how to prevent such problems from happening again.

5. Staff Are Always Getting Ill

Lastly, have you noticed there are high employee absence rates at your workplace? If the problem isn’t down to low morale, and people seem to have similar reasons for staying off work, you need to address why it’s happening.

Staff might get sick if they aren’t wearing the right PPE (personal protective equipment) when working with chemicals or handling objects that might contain viruses or bacteria.