HSE reports that in 2020/2021, 142 workers were killed at work. Implementing a proper health and safety programme within the workplace can help reduce the risks of injury and ill health for employees and customers.
Health and safety in the workplace should be a priority for any organisation to safeguard employees carrying out their day-to-day tasks. In line with Health and Safety at Work Regulations, all employers have a statutory duty to protect their employees by putting adequate measures in place, including health and safety training.
Make sure your employees are aware of workplace health and safety issues with our Health and Safety Awareness training. It’s IOSH Approved and CPD Certified and gives employees the information they need to work safely.
Ways to improve workplace health and safety
These measures aren’t always observed as strictly as they should be, leading to a decline in safety standards. If you are looking to improve health and safety in your organisation, here are some of the strategies you should consider.
Adopt a Health and Safety programme
One of the most significant ways to improve health and safety in the workplace is by influencing long-term change in the behaviour of employees. This approach relies on enforcing good habits while removing any of the current bad habits exhibited by workers.
Our Health and Safety induction course can help cover the basics of managing hazards in the workplace to prevent accidents. Aimed at new employees starting within a company, you can ensure they can keep themselves and others safe at work. To help progress employee knowledge surrounding health and safety issues, our eLearning courses are a great way to monitor their progress and cover a range of work-related tasks. These courses can help enforce good habits and train employees to spot risks/prevent accidents.
Regularly inspect and assess your Health and Safety policy
Having a health and safety policy in place alone isn’t enough to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of employees. To improve its effectiveness, you must commit to carrying out regular risk assessments to identify any gaps in your current policy or areas that would benefit from improvement.
These regular assessments are vital because, over time, various factors can change in your workplace. These can then affect your current policy as it may no longer be as effective as when first introduced. For example, if you have updated your premises or introduced new equipment, your health and safety policy should be reassessed and updated to reflect this.
Invest in Training
Training is vital to improving health and safety in the workplace, but it is also the statutory duty of all employers under The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. No matter the nature of your business, all your employees must be trained in the workplace health and safety areas relevant to their role. Don’t forget, if your organisation frequently uses contractors, it is also your responsibility to ensure that they are properly trained too.
So, what are your options for providing workplace health and safety training? You can either go down the traditional route of classroom-style training days or invest in health and safety eLearning for your employees. While both are suitable options, online courses are becoming more and more popular thanks to their cost-effective nature and because they allow all trainees to progress at their own pace.
How we can help improve health and safety in your workplace
No two workplaces have the same health and safety requirements. To help you find the best solution for your organisation, speak to the friendly and knowledgeable team here at Praxis42, who will be able to advise you on your options, and support you with your training needs.
Try our workplace Health and Safety Awareness training. It’s IOSH Approved and CPD Certified and gives employees the information they need to work safely. With the help of our Learning Management System, SHINE, keeping track of employee training has never been so easy.
