Whenever anyone brings up the subject of health and safety, it tends to come with a bit of eye rolling and muttering. As a general rule, we seem to assume that health and safety aren’t going to make work any easier. In fact, we often believe that health and safety simply add unnecessary ‘red tape’ that makes things more frustrating.
No matter what sort of business you are running, health and safety should never inhibit your operations. In fact, the information you gather while you are considering health and safety procedures should inform the way you do things and may even improve your efficiency.
Gather Information to Make Processes Better
One of the first ways that health and safety can help improve your business is by forcing you to be more critical about your processes. When you are looking at whether something is safe, you can also review whether the process is also as efficient as possible.
For example, if you are considering fleet safety, you can actually use telematics – a health and safety device to gather information. With this information, you may be able to figure out smarter routes and reduce the time your cars spend on the road. Plus, you will be able to track how much time your drivers are clocking up to make sure they don’t exceed their hours by accident.
Improve Communications
Another aspect of health and safety is working out how to communicate effectively. Being able to talk to other people well, whether you are in an open plan office or a loud factory floor, is a really important way to stay safe. But good communication is also essential for getting your projects going.
When you are looking at health and safety within communications, you should consider how you can clarify your messages and get them across quickly. This will minimize confusion and miscommunication and should keep everyone safer as well as better informed. Encouraging open communication and honesty between yourself and your employees is vital if you want to make sure that you can all stay safe and identify any problems as quickly as possible.
Retain Your Staff
No-one wants to work in an environment they feel is unsafe – a perfectly reasonable request! When you are open to suggestions and critical about your health and safety procedures, this doesn’t just ensure that staff is safe, but it also gives them a voice in creating a work environment they are confident in.
Staff training in health and safety is also really important as this gives your employees an opportunity to take responsibility for their own safety and role. By providing regular training, health and safety can become a strong part of your company culture.
Health and safety might not be the most attractive subject at work but it is a strong undercurrent in any environment. It doesn’t matter what your company does or how simple or complex your health and safety needs may be, ensuring that everyone is happy and safe at work must be a top priority.
