Ensuring the safety of your employees is an obvious requirement of any business, but what does it actually mean in practice? Are rapid 'tick box' sessions and training quizzes really enough?

In reality, they are not. Robust, pro-active workplace safety measures are required to keep employees healthy and avoid the risk of future litigation.

At Pall Mall, we have vast experience in providing safe, functional buildings, and work closely with contractors to ensure our properties are health and safety ready.

Here are 5 tips to help plan a great workplace safety strategy for your business:

Allocate sufficient training time

A big issue with many companies is the tendency to rush safety training so employees can concentrate on their main work-role. This is a false economy. Under-trained staff can be a danger to others, making accidents and future fines more likely.

Make sure all workers have a thorough understanding of the safety processes in your company. A staff training day is a great idea to fully immerse employees in theirs and your responsibilities. Regular refresher sessions should take at least an hour - not a few minutes.

Conduct random inspections

Once trained, it is easy for staff to fall into bad habits as time progresses. Random inspections help to keep the focus on a safety culture, whereas pre-announced inspections can lead to the 'masking' of an otherwise unsafe situation.

If you are known to regularly do a 'safety walk', employees are less likely to become complacent and your company is more likely to be a healthier place to work.

Staff daily schedule

Too much work pressure is a major cause of accidents and safety incidents.

Are you asking your employees to regularly work long days?

Shorter shifts have shown a decrease in accidents and mean that workers do not get as tired. Better productivity levels and increased staff happiness are also a good additional benefit of this approach.

Feedback sessions

It can be hard to know everything that occurs within the workplace, especially a large commercial building.

Your workforce are your eyes and ears - they are likely to know potential safety issues before you do. Use their knowledge to your advantage. Weekly staff feedback sessions where people can air any concerns, help to promote safety-first behaviours.

Legal obligations

The most obvious way to keep standards high are to ensure compliance with existing legal obligations.

Gas and electrical inspections, as well as an up-to date asbestos register help to keep staff safe. Failure to maintain these procedures can lead to massive fines and jail sentences ; prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive are growing.

Do not make a mistake and think they will not target you!

How safety compliant is your business? Could you improve your training and enhance morale and work performance?

Pall Mall Estates have a wide range of low cost commercial properties across the UK. Take a look at our available spaces here or get in touch with our experienced team here.

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