by Sharon Jones

When you are an employer, as well as a small business owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your team are looked after and cared for. To some small business owners, this will be something that is really obvious. But for others, it can be seen as enough to point out to a new team member where the fire escape route is, and then leave it at that. But these days, it really is not enough. There are so many things like cyber crime threats too, so when added into the mix, knowing the fire exit won’t be enough to protect them. So what can you as an employer be doing more of, to make sure that your employees are safe when at work? Here are some things to think about. 

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Assess the Environment

Risk assessments are likely to be something that you see a lot of, depending on the sector you work in, but it is something that really does make a difference to where you work. You need to assess what your team will be doing, and how the risks will be managed. You also need to do a health and safety checks in the office, to check that things like lights are working properly, and that electrical sockets are working and not near a leaking water fountain, for example. You should check all alarms, as well as slip and trip hazards. The checks should be done regularly too, as things do change over time.

As part of any risk assessment, it will be imperative to make sure all proper safety and emergency signage is in place. Quality signage is a must - you can use this link to take a look at the fire signage, among others, that you could get to place around your workplace.

Ask the Experts

If something was to happen in the workplace, then you might need to seek help from insurers, lawyers, and even the police, so that things can be dealt with. But as a small business owner, you don’t want your company to be liable for anything, which is where seeking some advice from experts comes into play; you can ask their advice and their opinions on things, especially when it comes to employer health and safety. You could also look into what a claims management company is, but what is a claims management company? They can help you and your team with HR issues, especially if someone has had to have time off work, so find a knowledgeable individual or company, who can be a big help to offer you some guidance.

Create a Welcoming Environment

You and your team are going to want to work somewhere that is welcoming, and where you feel you can address any issues that come up, without any hard feelings or any anxiousness or animosity. Being able to create an open door policy between your team is a great idea, and it can make a big difference. You will want to know if one team member isn’t being appropriate with the others, and so on. 

In the workplace, some accidents do happen, but many are avoidable. So you need to make sure that you are putting some measures in place, so that your team can be safe in the workplace, and can work as best as they are able. Show them that you are an employer who cares, and an employer who is proactive.