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If you are an employer, one of your top concerns should be the health and safety of your workplace and its employees. While certain issues like an absence due to illness cannot be avoided, there are numerous measures that you can put into practice that can reduce the risk of a workplace injury. Although all workplaces must follow certain occupational health and safety regulations, some businesses have fewer workplace injuries than others. If you want to take improve your health and safety regulation, follow these tips.

1. Workplace Inspection – The first step towards improving your business’s workplace safety is to do a full inspection. A registered health and safety officer can help identify any potential problems or hazards in your workplace and make suggestions to correct these issues. This important step should only be done by a professional because you may miss something that could lead to future injuries of your employees. Once the registered health and safety officer has identified issues and suggested actions to correct these issues, it is essential that you make the necessary changes.

2. Create a Safety Plan – A safety plan will help to control and eliminate hazards within the workplace according to We Do Training. During this phase, you should inform your employees that there will be changes to help make the workplace a safer and healthier place. Part of your safety plan should include placing a first aid kit in an area that can be easily accessed by all employees. Another portion should include teaching fire drill procedures that include where each member of a team or department should meet in case of a fire or another emergency. Having a designated area will help rescuers know which employees are unaccounted for.

3. Health and Safety Training for Employees – One of the most effective ways to improve workplace safety is to provide training for each of your employees. This is especially important for employees who work in more labor intensive jobs as the risk of injury increases. All training should be provided free of charge and during normal working hours. The amount of training necessary depends on whether your company is a low risk or high-risk business. All employees should be informed of the risks and hazards of the job, the measures to reduce the hazards and the appropriate emergency procedures. Many employers find that offering first aid training can improve the health and safety of the company. These employees will be trained on how to deal with an emergency in a calm and efficient manner.

4. Regular Safety Meetings – Once you have completed the training, it is important that you hold regular safety meetings. These meetings will provide your employees with an opportunity to voice any concerns, problems or opinions they may have about the health and safety of your company. It will also allow you to determine the effectiveness of the training program and whether other measures are needed.

5. Maintain Safety Records – The last step of implementing a health and safety process is to maintain records. These records should include the inspections that have taken place and the training that each employee has completed.