Those who own and run a company that inhabits an office or retail space and employ a number of staff need to make sure their premises and business practices meet health and safety standards set by local authorities and government bodies so that they steer clear of financial and legal penalties, as well as harm to staff. In order to keep your staff, yourself, and your business safe, owners need to make sure that they meet these standards in the property, or space that they occupy.
To ensure that their premises is safe, accessible and meeting the health and safety standards required, a business owner may need to make appropriate changes to the premises, or their daily routine, to guarantee that their company operates in a safe way.
Security and Safety
Businesses should make sure that their premises are both secure and safe so that they can prevent damage to property and injury to staff and customers. Business owner’s whose offices or retails spaces occupy the upper storeys of a building should make sure that their windows are safe and are only able to be partially opened to prevent serious injury from falling, and have suitable locks to help to help deter criminal activities.
Security measures also need to be applied to doors, and businesses that possess valuable items may want to make use of pin entry system as a precautionary measure. A business needs to also consider how they would evacuate a property and therefore management need to adhere to a building’s fire evacuation procedure, or create one of their own that will allow customers and staff to exit safely should an incident occur.
Access for All
Businesses in any industry need to make sure that their premises are accessible to all. In the UK, businesses need to comply with The Equality Act 2010 and make appropriate changes that allow for those with disabilities to easily enter and use the property and
space. Installing ramps and automatic doors will help those less able gain access to the premises.
Regulate Breaks
When employing individuals, businesses should adhere to the legal requirements in regards to regular breaks and working hours. Anyone who is over 18 and works more than six hours a day or shift is legally entitled to a 20 minute break, but businesses whose employees work in manual labour or spend their day using a computer may want to provide longer, or more regular breaks to avoid reduction of productivity and health issues.
Clean Work Space
The area in which your business operates should be kept to a high standard of cleanliness so as to avoid illness, contamination, and pests. An unclean premises can lead to serious problems in regards to employee performance, customer satisfaction, and even building structure if neglected for an extensive period of time. All of these problems can leave a business failing and unable to make a profit. By ensuring that your workplace is regularly cleaned and tidied by a professional office cleaner, your business can avoid any financial and legal problems that may arise from an unkempt office space and ensure that daily running and productivity is maintained at a high level.
Trained First Aider
Having a trained First Aider who is employed by your business means that should any incidents occur that require medical assistance, there is instant help available. Businesses will want to provide First Aid training courses for a select amount of their employees so that accidents and incidents that happen in the workplace can be quickly taken care of and assessed as to whether further medical assistance is needed.
About the Author: Beth Stubbings thinks that it is important for all businesses to be conscious of health and safety not only because they need to meet legal requirements, but also because of the effect it has on profits and staff productivity. She would recommend Bristol Cleaners to companies that require an office cleaning service for their business.