There are a number of things you can do to be safer at work. But it doesn’t all fall down to you. Your employer will have guidelines to follow. The Health and Safety Act of 1974 requires employees to have adequate training, protective equipment and essential information they need to do their job safely. You can see why its so important to stay safe at work in the image below.

But how can you avoid injuries and ill health in the workplace, read on for some suggestions.

Identify Risks In The Workplace

The first step is to recognize risk. It is a useful exercise to identify the risks in the workplace so you and other members of staff can stay alert to any potential issues. Many of the risks can be prevented when you have a better understanding. Emergencies can still happen. However, you should also provide best practice information in the rare cases when something unexpected occurs.

If you work in a commercial food business its important to learn more about the importance of hood cleaning. Kitchen exhaust cleaning helps prevent fires, another way to stay safe at work.

Use Reputable Companies

Your employer should do everything in their power to reduce the risk of injuries in the workplace. Only contracting established reputable companies to install equipment on site will help. For example, Industrial Door Solutions considers all the danger points in their door maintenance and repair company. They have sensor activation distances covered, finger guards as standard and cut out systems. Safety really is at the core of what they do.

Do make sure your employer doesn’t just go for the cheapest contractor.

Training

It is a good idea to make your employer aware if you think a task is beyond your capabilities or training. They can then give your further guidance and supervision.

Make sure your training includes what to do in an emergency, safe use of machinery (if applicable) and first aid. If it has been a while since you had training and you have forgotten anything don’t be afraid to ask for refresher training.

If you are new to the company, ask for someone to supervise your work whilst you build your skills and confidence.

Just providing training isn’t enough. It is essential that your employer analyses how effective the training is and offers improvements. If accidents are still happening it might be worth hiring a training provider with more experience in the field. This website offers software so your employer can easily track where they are up to with everyone’s training. Your boss can also add quizzes to training modules to make sure staff truly understand what they have just learnt about.

Refuse A Job

If you still don’t feel like you can do a job safely you are within your rights to refuse if you think it would cause you “serious and imminent” danger. It would be unlawful for your boss to fire you in those circumstances. So, know your rights and trust your gut if you think something could endanger your life. You can claim for unfair dismissal even if you are completely new to the job. You don’t have to have worked at the company for a few years.

Any Safety Issues

If you are concerned your employer is not helping you stay safe at work, perhaps they are cutting corners or taking unnecessary risks and is ignoring your fears, you can try contacting your union. Alternatively, if all else fails raise it with the HSE. The HSE can support you if your employer is breaking the law and causing endangerment in the workplace.