Small businesses have their work cut out for them. You’re already entering a competitive marketplace from the back, and have to do your best to cut through and find the audience for you.
It’s a lot of work, and it’s why so many business owners end up doing 12+ hour days on a regular basis.
So when it comes to an issue like health and safety, you shouldn’t have to worry. It should be as easy as possible to risk assess your premises and put the right health and safety measures in place. You’ve got so much else to do without worrying about slips, trips, and falls.
As such, here are 3 of the most common safety issues small business owners should be aware of. If you act now, you don’t have to worry later.
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Not Enough Lighting
Visibility levels on work sites can differ wildly. An indoor area, such as an office or warehouse, can be made visible at all times. You just turn on the lights if there isn’t enough natural light to go around.
But any premises with outdoor areas need to be more careful. For example, employees should be supplied with coats and jackets that are more fluorescent, such as hi vis clothing.
Even your safety notices, as well as your health and safety signs, should be chosen with low light levels in mind. Indeed, you can invest in both internal and external signage that can be powered and lit up, or even types that glow in the dark.
Having the Right Extinguisher
There are different fire extinguishers for different flame sources – that’s the first thing to know. Otherwise, you may not have the right fire extinguishers on the premises, and could be at risk of severe fire damage in the long run.
Some of the most common types are water, foam, dry powder, and CO2 extinguishers. And if you’re not sure which one should be used when a computer overheats and catches fire, or there’s been a spark in the break room, you wouldn’t be the only one!
But you can make this health and safety challenge a whole lot easier by working with experts like Albion Fire Detection. A team like this can assess your fire safety procedure, including evaluating the types of extinguishers you have, as well as if you have the right amount on the premises.
Keeping Employees Aware of Health and Safety
Finally, your health and safety policy should always be on display. Everyone on the premises needs to know what to do in case of an emergency, or who to go to when they need to report something.
You may even be required to put up a health and safety law poster, if this isn’t already on display. Many small business owners don’t know this, so double check these things now!
Safety issues exist in every business. Find where they are ASAP, highlight them clearly, and make sure everyone knows what to do to stay safe.
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