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By Henry Brown
If you have worked for years to build your small business from the ground up, the chances are you care a lot about it. Being a small business owner is tough going sometimes, but you persevere because you love your business and you want to achieve great things!
One thing that keeps small business owners up at night is threats to the integrity of their business. Non-compliance is a big threat to your business, even if it is accidental; if you are found to have broken any regulations or laws, it could be the end for all your hard work.
In this post, we’ll show you three ways to improve health and safety compliance for your small business. Let’s get started!
– Digitize your health and safety procedures
Health and safety procedures are often left to fall by the wayside, simply because they are done the old fashioned way. If you present a new employee with thousands of forms and hours of dull seminars about health and safety, the chances are something is likely to get left behind.
That’s why most companies are now digitizing their health and safety procedures, so their employees can do the training on their own time. Plus, digitization increases compliance, because there’s no lost paper trail if an accident does occur and evidence of compliance needs to be submitted to the authorities.
– Invest in risk management services
Risk management services are an ideal investment for small businesses that need extra protection against risk. These could include:
– Construction companies;
– Gardening, landscaping or farming companies;
– Companies that handle highly sensitive documents, such as medical companies;
– Companies that work with children, animals or vulnerable adults;
– Companies that manufacture or store high value items, such as jewelers;
– Businesses that handle dangerous chemicals.
Risk management services allow you to consult with experts about the level of risk your company has on its hands, and what can be done to reduce these risks. If an accident were to occur, you can prove that you have consulted experts in your field and that compliance was executed at every turn.
– Store equipment correctly
Often the greatest risks to small businesses come from hazardous equipment or dangerous materials that have not been stored properly. For example, flammable liquids should be stored in fire-proof containers so that they do not ignite in the event of an accident. Electrical equipment such as large batteries need to be turned off and kept in a cool, dry place as these too can become dangerous if exposed to heat or moisture. Safety companies such as STOREMASTA can provide your business with storage solutions and equipment to reduce the risks involved with having equipment and materials on your premises.
– Refresh employee training regularly
If you have an employee who has worked at your company for a long time, it could be that some of their health and safety training is slipping through the cracks. People become sloppy over time as they become accustomed to working in the same environment every day.
By refreshing employee training regularly, you reduce the risk of accidents occurring, and once again, you can prove compliance if there is an accident or claim against you. As a small business, you simply can’t afford to lose a lawsuit against your company on the grounds of poor health and safety; it could financially devastate your business and ruin your reputation.
Final thoughts
For small businesses, good health and safety is of paramount importance. By digitizing your training and procedures, consulting with a risk management expert and refreshing employee training, you will be on your way to having a safer workplace for everyone involved.
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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.
