5 Health and Safety Checks You Should Carry Out Today
Health and safety isn’t something that you can simply put in place then forget about. It’s an ongoing task that takes a lot of effort, and it’s important to make basic checks on a regular basis to ensure your workplace is as safe as possible. Here are a few of the things you should check in your workplace right away, and regularly in the future.
- First aid kits
While the aim of health and safety is to avoid accidents at all costs, they do still happen, and when they do, you need to ensure you have the correct first aid supplies on hand. Make sure you have a basic workplace first aid kit to hand, and that it’s well stocked and has supplies that are in date. While you’re checking your first aid kits, you may want to check whether it’s time for your first aiders to have a refresher course, and whether you have enough first aid trained staff on each shift.
- Your accident book
Many accidents in the workplace are preventable, which is why the accident book is so important for health and safety. When an accident occurs, the important information should be recorded, such as the location, time and a description of the accident, as well as signatures of the people involved. However, it’s important not to simply file your accident book away until the next incident. Regularly review any incidents and look out for any patterns that may indicate things need to be changed.
- Cleaning equipment
Industrial cleaning equipment isn’t just there to leave the place looking nice. It’s important to have specialist items such as oil spill kits on hand, as leaving even small spills on the floor could lead to a nasty accident. Make sure there are mops, buckets and any specialist chemicals close at hand for leaks and spills.
- Safety clothing
While you may have invested in safety clothing in the past, over time, items go missing, get damaged, or employees simply don’t bother wearing them. Make sure everyone who needs items such as safety boots, ear protection or hi-vis clothing, has them to hand.
- Signage
It’s important that both staff and visitors are aware of hazards, and since you can’t cover them all in an induction, good signage is vital for health and safety. There’s even a legal act to cover this; Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 state that you need to use signs that are easy for people to recognise, and they should be clearly displayed, illuminated if necessary, so they can be seen. Take a walk around the building and look for hazards, checking whether there’s proper signage so that people are reasonably warned.
Good signage is also important if there’s a fire, or another reason why the building needs to be evacuated. Illuminated fire exit signs are important for guiding people who may be distressed or confused, so make sure these signs are prominently displayed.
