There are many adaptations of the ‘boss manual’ which business owners and CEOs all refer to when putting in a sticky situation. Running a business isn’t just about licking your thumb and counting you money roll for the week. The heart and soul of every business is and always will be the people who you hire. As long as human beings aren’t being replaced at office work desks, manufacturing plants and marketing companies etc., they’ll always be the red and white blood cells of business.

Not only do your workers breathe personality into your business, but part of their forte is also to jump on things when they go wrong immediately. Anything that’s thrown at them, you expect them to not only adapt to but to take in their stride as they work toward a solution. The force that collectively pushes a workforce forward is morale. You’re like a big team of brothers and sisters that are all in it together. Like any cohesive group, all doubts and worries must be out in the open. This is so they can be tackled by the group and people don’t carry burdens on their own and in silence. Time and time again, it's been proven that if there is one thing that can bring down the morale of your workers, it's an unsafe environment.

Calm, sharp and smart safety protocols

Safety protocols can be split into two groups; one that is for safe work practices and the other as safe job procedures. Safe work practices are issues that concern everybody you employ. These are things such as clearing the office of exposed wires, fixing any loose-fitted and or hanging lighting, clearing the floor of people’s things such as bags and coats. It's also important that general safety is adhered to and there are set safety standards and procedures in place. Your workers must be drilled regularly throughout the year to react quickly and calmly to a fire. Fire alarms need to be tested regularly at the same time as reaction and response times. A business is liable for incorrect and bad safety policy such as not having a plan to evacuate a burning building, rooms, hallway, elevators and even parking lots.

For the latter, being that safe work procedures are relative to specific jobs and tasks, this is a more complex subject. Good procedures will take into account the localized danger your workers face, such as chemical hazards, mechanical dangers such as machines they work with, air contamination such as dangerous gases that can be inhaled, etc. it's recommended that you, first of all, establish some vital standards. These can be created with the help of a commercial safety specialist company and or government institution. These entities will have the national and local standards that all businesses must adhere to, and you can simply copy and paste them into your company policy. Don’t rest easy once you do this as you will continually need to perform assessments and update the smaller policies surrounding, the larger ones.

Image credit Jarred Sollars

People protection

Businesses interact with all kinds of people from all different walks of life and beliefs. It's with great caution that you should treat people who not only work for you but rub shoulders with you, such as third-party services. People who might mean well in the face of things can prove otherwise at moments of great strife. The modern world has changed, terrorism is a big concern for all businesses, there’s always attention on gun and knife crime in the workplace however subtle it may be. Employees can also get into fights that lead to bad injuries, broken equipment and possibly bad optics for your public relations.

Receptions aren’t just a formal place that people use to be checked in or be recognized as employees; they can also act as holding areas. One way to securely know who you’re getting into the building or office you work in is to employ top-notch security guards. Professionals in handling tense situations, security guards can defuse people’s anger and stop anyone from getting hurt in fights. Crucially, if guards are to be used to patrol your business, they need to be highly trained. Take for example a scenario that has happened many times before. A spouse of an intimate partner is infuriated with their other half, and they want to commit a horrible crime upon their person. If they live together, they would know what the clearance card or employee ID looks like. Forging this and coming to their place of work, if they are allowed in mistakenly, they could get in the distance of their partner and viciously attack them. Security guards must, therefore, have a sharp eye and possess the skills to authenticate documentation and be observant to fraudulent acts that harm your business.

Competition is healthy

All manner of businesses, companies, and corporations have internal workshops to keep employees on their toes. Competition is healthy for the workforce because it creates an atmosphere of chasing excellence. Form the workforce into different teams, and conduct tests around safety standards. Physically change an empty room to a state that is hazardous. List all the things wrong with the room, and then get the teams to come in and point them out one by one. This will help them to be more observant and spot things that are out of the ordinary. Pitting teams against each other and scoring them on their performance, can be a fun and educational activity for all involved.

No business should be a death trap for its employees. Remember that if correct procedures and standards of workspace and work protocols aren’t followed according to a governing body, you’re liable for injuries. Protecting your staff from each other is a very real concern as tempers can flare and physical fights are known to break out in a lawless environment. Security guards posted at key locations to authenticate people entering your office or building are who they say they are can make a difference of life and death. Stopping the normal work day for an entertaining safety task where two teams are trying to win over the other, is healthy and much-needed competition.