Health and Safety doesn’t have to be a headache: 4 top tips for successful H&S planning and implementation

It goes without saying that whatever line of business you are in Health and Safety is paramount, failing to comply with Health and Safety regulations creates a huge risk to your business reputationally and financially and putting it bluntly is breaking the law. 

However, that doesn’t mean that implementing a Health and Safety plan or management system is always straightforward; it’s a piece of a policy which encompasses topics as diverse as fire, dermatitis, lone working and now, of course, there’s a whole new section of the policy as a result of COVID19 and all of this has to be done alongside the day to day demands of running your business. 

But don’t worry! if you’re a business owner wondering where to start with Health and Safety we’ve got you covered with our 4 top tips below: 

Draw up a plan

This may seem obvious but you would be surprised at the amount of businesses who try to implement health and safety without first determining exactly what needs doing and when. Having clear priorities will help to ensure that improvements are made effectively.

Also, a structured plan will help to satisfy any enforcement bodies and insurance companies that you take health and safety seriously.

The plan will also help you to set realistic targets. Rome was not built in a day and in these challenging times you need to make sure you are using your resources wisely. If you are not sure, get some help.

Make sure though that the advice you get is good. Shop around – unfortunately, there are plenty of bad Health and Safety practitioners who will sell you lots of unnecessary paperwork at a high price.

Don’t be afraid

Some health and safety terminology can be hard to handle. Take ‘Risk Assessment’ – what does it mean? Well simply put, you do risk assessments every day.

Every time you cross a road you do a risk assessment; you listen for traffic and look both ways before crossing. That is a risk assessment. The only difference is that at work we have to look at lots of hazards and decide on other controls such as training, maintenance regimes or protective equipment such as gloves.

Write down your findings, tell your staff, and take the time to review.

Communicate with your staff

Make sure you involve all your staff from the start. It is also a good idea to give your staff responsibilities. Empowerment and generating a team mentality is one of the best ways to improve morale and performance within any workplace.

Be clear about what you expect from your teams in respect of Health and Safety and in turn understand what they expect and need from you, we spend a lot of time at work and as a result, feeling safe in the work environment is a huge part of both mental and physical wellbeing. 

Set an example

Make sure that you are doing what you ask everybody else to do. health and safety simply does not work if senior management set a bad example or turn a blind eye. As part of your plan set targets and take the time to hold regular reviews to ensure you are achieving what you want to achieve.

Need some support with your Health and Safety planning and implementation? We can help! Why not get in touch for a free consultation today!