Construction worker safety gear – Image Courtesy of Pexels
It’s your responsibility as an employer to keep your employees safe at the office. Safety extends from immediate security and safety, preparation for the worst, and mental health. Additionally, you can use many helpful insurance policies to help your business.
Provide Training for Emergencies
You are legally responsible for inspecting all home safety systems, unlike hazard prevention systems. Fires, floods, leaks of gas, earthquakes, and more can all affect your business, whether it is an act of God or intentional. It is your responsibility to ensure employee safety. As a company owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that fire prevention, safety alarms, and emergency response systems are of the highest quality. A regular fire risk assessment will help you make sure any emergency systems are functioning correctly.
Keep Your Employees Safe with Cybersecurity
Despite the increased threat of cybercrime today, 70% of SMBs have no online security plan. However, you are responsible for the safekeeping of company, employee and client data. All of which can be stolen and maliciously used. The first thing you should do is purchase an anti-malware package. Further, managed IT services provide reliable security, such as active monitoring against intrusion. But they also offer excellent services that can save your company, such as regular backups and recovery, software updates and employee password policies.
Check for a Criminal Past
A criminal check is required for anyone working with vulnerable groups. Depending on your industry or business, the law might also need a criminal background check. You can still conduct a criminal background check on all your employees regardless of the sector you belong to. However, if a criminal background check is positive. It is possible to proceed with employment. Especially if the crimes are unrelated to your business. For instance, being arrested for minor traffic violations does not necessarily make an employee dangerous.
EXTRA: Useful Insurance Policies for Business
There are specific insurance policies required by law and others that are optional. But many policies can be valuable and cover you for all eventualities. So it’s always a good idea to hold insurance policies just in case. Some of the best include the following:
- Workers’ compensation (required by law in most countries).
- Loss of income cover protects you in harder times or disasters (like COVID).
- Commercial product liability to protect against defective items.
- Business interruption insurance for help if you need to close for some reason.
- Commercial car and van insurance groups for cover when using them for business.
Nobody likes paying for insurance. You should, however, make sure to cover all possible outcomes that could cause damage to your business, personal finances, or reputation. If you fail to do so, you could face harsh penalties or even criminal proceedings.
Check Employees are Qualified
You should always check that your employees are qualified to operate machinery. Forklift operators, for instance, need licenses and credentials when working in a warehouse. Despite this, legal training isn’t always required for other machinery. Whatever the case, it is imperative that all employees of your business are licensed and qualified to use any equipment they use. Ensuring employees are competent at handling dangerous equipment makes everyone at your business safer. And if safety is overlooked or neglected, you will be held liable as a result.
Security Systems Help Keep Your Employees Safe
Threats from both within and outside your business present risks to employees. The security procedures of rented business premises may or may not be your responsibility. Still, it is your responsibility as a company to ensure the safety of your employees. It is essential to protect employees from clients and customers, and coworkers. Consequently, an incident of workplace violence between coworkers poses a threat irrespective of an intruder’s presence. You can reduce workplace incidents with CCTV, security systems, guards and seminars.
Provide Mental Health Support
Mental health issues are becoming more exposed and recognized these days. Therefore, it might be good to speak with a psychologist about professional counselling for your employees. Psychologists are becoming more and more involved with employee welfare programs. Standard psychological techniques are applied across the workplace. Yet counsellors can also offer one-on-one guidance for employees who need it. An organizational psychologist can provide professional care to help employees cope, improve performance, and stay productive.
Summary
You must keep employees safe. Disaster training is always a great idea, just in case the worst happens. But you also have a duty to safeguard using criminal background checks and checking qualifications. Further, a workplace counsellor is excellent for ensuring mental health.
