Connect with us

Health

Managing Risk In The Workplace: A Beginner’s Guide

Managing Risk In The Workplace: A Beginner's GuideThis article looks at some of the basic principles of managing the health and safety of employees and the risks they are exposed to in the workplace.

All businesses and organisations are required to provide their employees with a safe working environment and comply with health and safety legislation. Doing this needn’t be complicated in most instances. There are several steps that can be followed to achieve this.

A Competent Person 

You will need a competent person who can help ensure you meet your legal health and safety duties. If you are knowledgeable enough you may be able to do this yourself or you may need to appoint a member of staff or bring in some external expertise to help.

Health and Safety Policy 

If you have five or more employees then you must have a written health and safety policy. This should set out how health and safety risks in your business are managed, how employees can ensure they are working safely and who has responsibility in specific areas.

Managing Risks 

You must manage the health and safety risks in your business. This does not mean that you need to eliminate all risk but that risk should be identified and sensible measures put in place to control them. You should remember to consult with your employees about the risks they feel they face.

Welfare 

It is important to ensure that there are adequate welfare provisions in the workplace. This includes things such as toilets and drinking water as well as suitable lighting and ventilation. It also includes ensuring that the property is well maintained, windows can be opened and that routes are free of obstruction.

Training 

You are required to provide your employees with clear training and instructions, how to carry out their jobs safely and what procedures should be followed in an emergency. Refresher training should be provided on a regular basis. Don’t forget about contractors or self-employed people.

Accidents 

You are required to have appropriate first aid arrangements in place. At the very least you need a suitably stocked first aid box, someone with responsibility for first aid and communication to employees about first aid procedures. You should also familiarise yourself with accident and illness events that need to be reported to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Insurance 

If you employ others then you will need to arrange and maintain Employers Liability Insurance. This is a legal requirement in most cases. If an employee is injured or becomes ill as a result of work then they may seek compensation from you. You are also required to display a copy of the Certificate of Insurance in the workplace.

Health & Safety Poster 

You are also required to display the health & safety law poster in your workplace or provide your employees with a pocket card with the information on.

Managing risk in the workplace should not be unnecessarily onerous. By taking simple steps to identify and manage health and safety risks employees can be provided with an environment that ensure they are working safely and productively. If you lack the necessary internal expertise to confidently make this happen then it is worthwhile investing in a recognised training programme or bringing in professional help.

AUTHOR BIO

Kathy Stone writes about risk management for a range of websites and blogs. She is particularly interested in health and safety systems that enable safe working and has recently attending an iosh working safely course.

Continue Reading

Recent Posts

Home Improvement1 week ago

Mastering The Maintenance: Breaking Down The Basics Of Your Ducted Heating And Cooling System

Welcome, fellow home enthusiasts! Ever find yourself lost in the labyrinth of your ducted heating and cooling system? Have you...

Business3 weeks ago

The Invisible Hands: Unveiling How Food Distributors Influence the Quality of Our Foods

Ever found yourself wondering why the tomatoes in your salad taste particularly fresh or why your preferred brand of coffee...

Marketing3 weeks ago

Webflow CMS: A Comprehensive Guide

Webflow is a powerful tool that allows you to create and manage dynamic websites without needing to code. It’s a...

Business3 weeks ago

The Three Most Important Benefits You Should Offer To Your Employees

Offering your employees a range of benefits on top of regular salary increases will really help to show that you...

Business1 month ago

Business Tips For Protecting Your Finances During A Recession

In 2024, taking the necessary steps to protect your finances for your business is now more important than ever. The...

Green & Energy2 months ago

Air Conditioning Installation: What You Need to Know

When it comes to getting an air conditioning unit installed, can significantly improve your comfort and home environment, especially during...

Marketing2 months ago

Marketing Tips For A Gym Wear Brand

When starting a gym wear brand, there are a few things you need to do and one of them is...

General2 months ago

Social Media Marketing: What Are All The Types?

Social media marketing is a tool that is a must-have in today’s digital age. it’s very rare that businesses can...

Business3 months ago

How To Become A Property Developer

There are several reasons why an individual will want to become a property developer. One of the main reasons for...

Business3 months ago

Remote Delivery Innovations: Case Studies from Leading E-commerce Brands

People have gone through much change in the past few years when it comes to online shopping. Nowadays, when delivery...

Business3 months ago

Why are Brits turning to online-only banks?

For years, large, conventional banks held all the aces when it comes to citizens’ finances in the UK. HSBC, Lloyds...

5 Important Web Design Considerations to Make For Better SEO 5 Important Web Design Considerations to Make For Better SEO
Tech4 months ago

5 Important Web Design Considerations to Make For Better SEO

Ever since the birth of search engines, practices in optimising websites for better search rankings have changed considerably. Where it...

SEO4 months ago

The Importance of Local SEO for Small Businesses

There are many different types of businesses and all of them will require online marketing however, with a small business,...

General4 months ago

Understanding The Unsung Heroes: Cool Rooms And The Importance Of Regular Repairs

Everybody loves a breath of fresh air when entering a superstore! But have you ever wondered who’s working backstage to...

Home Improvement8 months ago

How To Add More Value To Your Home

If you have some spare cash in the bank, it is likely you would like to spend it on your...

Categories

Archives

Trending