New Year’s Health and Safety Resolutions – are you making any?

I’m sure that you are more than aware that this year is now running towards its end and that 2015 beckons. Traditionally, this is a time for people to think about the future:

• What will next year bring?
• Are  you ready for it?
• How will you respond to it?
• How will you make the very bet of it?

At New Year, many people make resolutions to change – their lifestyle, attitude, eating habits, etc.

Do businesses? Do the people who run businesses?

This year, why not make a resolution to “do safety better”. I do not mean that you should spend unnecessary sums of money or to carry out unnecessary training or risk assessments. I mean “to think about safety and make some simple, low cost changes for the better”.

Here are some simple starters for you and your New Year’s Health and Safety Resolutions:

• Housekeeping standards – about a third of workplace accidents result from slips, trips and falls and about half of these result from poor housekeeping. It is, therefore, simple to avoid most of these accidents just by clearing the place up a bit. This may also make your business a bit more effective.
• Fire Safety – Check exit routes, check emergency lighting, check the fire alarm, do a fire drill, update your fire safety risk assessment, etc. Many businesses think that they are doing this, until they have a check and find sporadic records or records that ceases two years ago when the book was full!
• Vehicle movements – review the separation between people and vehicles – people come off really badly when it goes wrong!
• Focus – as with all areas that are important to your business, focus your efforts onto those things that will make a big difference for a low cost and for minimal effort. Housekeeping is a nice, easy big hit. It costs little and can reduce the instances of slips, trips and falls and it can reduce the likelihood of a fire.
• Records – consider which records are most important to the management of health and safety and make it ease to keep these up to date.
• Get involved – walk round the premises and view the operation regularly. Put right those things that do not look right on the walk round or, even better, get those people who should already have addressed these issues to put them right! This is truly management by walking about. This is part of how a positive and meaningful Health and Safety Culture is built within organisations.