Running a business can be hard enough. All without having to factor in all the necessary health and safety workplace steps you have to take to ensure you, your staff and any customers or visitors are protected. However, health and safety doesn’t have to go hand in hand with unnecessary complications. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be a headache in its own right, especially if you are a small business.
You will need a competent person
The first thing you need to do is ensure you have a competent person on hand to go through all the various requirements for your business.
If you are a small, or a low-risk business, then there is no reason why this competent person can’t be yourself, or perhaps another member of your team. Of course, if you have a larger establishment, or you operate as a high-risk business, chances are you’ll want to buy in expert advice to ensure you’re doing everything correctly.
Writing a health and safety policy
Did you know that if you have fewer than five employees then you do not need to write down your health and safety workplace policy? However, having something you can refer to, and which demonstrates your commitment to health and safety is always good practice.
A quick search on the internet will lead you to a number of perfectly suitable Word templates. These can facilitate your start on your SME health and safety policy. However, you may want to speak to a professional to ensure you have taken in to account all possible risks at every stage of your business to avoid any nasty surprises in the future.
Controlling risks
No matter what the workplace, or the nature of the work, there is going to be an element of risk with every business. The key here is to do everything you can to identify where those risks lie, and what you can do as an employer and as a business, to reduce those risks.
Conducting risk assessments for each activity that takes place will help to address these potential issues. Remember, if you have fewer than five employees you do not have to write anything down.
Speak to your staff
Identifying every potential risk or health and safety issue can be difficult, even within a small working environment. It therefore makes sense to discuss the matter with your current staff, to get their opinion and feedback on issues they may come across.
This two-way dialogue will also ensure that staff can feel confident in raising any health and safety concerns they have with you, safe in the knowledge that they will be taken seriously, and addressed.
Did you know …
People Matters HR can act as your ‘Competent Health and Safety Advisor’ on a retention basis or carry out ad hoc services ‘as and when’ required? We can prepare your safety documentation such as health and safety policies, health and safety arrangements, method statements, construction phase plans, demolition plans and other documentation.
We can also prepare management systems to meet ISO standards, NHSS standards and factory production control manuals to meet EN 1090 (CE Marking of structural steelwork).
That’s why we are People Matters: because YOUR people matter.