Safety precautions in the office or factory have never been of greater importance.

The simple truth is that, although the workforce may be at risk of injury, and that is obviously the prime concern, employers are also susceptible to being reported to industrial tribunals. This can be very costly, particularly given the growing volume of aggressive personal injury lawyers. According to the RSPOA, around 1.6 million workplace injuries happen in England every year, however in very many instances these injuries could have been avoided without too much effort.

It is a well known fact that a safer work environment benefits everyone. By taking up a few easy steps it’s easy for both employees and management to advance safety whilst at work.

Change routine tasks

This is particularly essential for anyone doing monotonous tasks for prolonged periods, such as being employed on assembly line production or being a computer operator, as it helps reduce repetitive strain injuries. See if there is a different job which could be done, variety is the spice of life.

Seek to reduce stress

Stress is amongst the most frequent employment health problems, accounting for upto twenty percent of all reported work related health problems. Psychological health is as significant as physical health. Look after the ‘whole person’, not just the body, perhaps learn some techniques for relaxation. If you believe you have too much to do, you are allowed to request help. At the end of the day, it won’t hurt you to be late.

Carry out risk assessments

Risk Assessments are a marvelous method of reducing risk of accidents way before they happen. One great tip is to undertake cross-departmental risk assessments, where workers from other departments within an organisation audit one another. A fresh pair of eyes may frequently see things in a different way, plus it gets people from different departments working together.

Become an expert on regional safety laws

For some types of company, such as those concerned in the production of corrosive chemicals, keeping on top of complex health and safety legislation is of extreme importance. Just the same legislation of one form or another is binding on all businesses. A starting point for any organization is to get in touch with the Health and Safety Executive. They are responsible for increasing awareness of the extent of health and safety legislation that covers workplaces in Great britain.

Slips and trips

These are common occurrences in any workplace loves office to heavy machinery site. Look out for uneven floor surfaces, stairs, dangerous holes, trailing electric cables; the list is long. Ensure that you do away with problems wherever possible. Consider the value of warning signs, a soaked floor might look clean and shiny but it is very dangerous. In addition think about adequate lighting to keep the area well illuminated, as poor lighting can cause a danger being ignored.

Take care when moving objects

It is exceptionally important to think through the difficulty of the task, load and surroundings before starting to move equipment large or small, light or bulky. A massive amount of injuries take place each year due to physical handling. Personal capabilities and health limitations will decide your maximum limits for lifting objects. Make sure to adopt a suitable posture, don’t strain too hard and request help to lift heavy or bulky items.

Medical aid training

In the event of an adversity it is worthwhile to recognize who in the company has the knowledge to administer first aid. If you’re the type of individual who likes to get involved think about putting yourself forward for medical emergency training - it’s an additional string to your bow, employers consider it as a positive and it’s actually quite interesting. Moreover employers should be encouraging employees to get first aid skills.

If you take up these basic procedures, you should be able to keep company employees and companies safe, in good health and efficient.

Roger Wakefield is a staff writer at:
Reagent Laboratory Chemicals, (http://www.reagent.co.uk), a manufacturer of specialist laboratory chemicals and reagents.