Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

By James Daniels

If you run a Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME), safety in the workplace can often seem like an unwanted distraction. However, keeping your business and your employees safe is vital if you’re to succeed in business – plus avoid potential legal action, thefts, or burglary.

Keeping your staff and important equipment safe at work will give you and your employees extra peace of mind while also improving morale and ensuring you stay within the legal guidelines and responsibilities. Below are just a few tips you could try to make your workplace safer from both accidents and potential unwanted break-ins.

Build a culture of safety awareness at work

By highlighting potential risks in the workplace and making your staff aware of any possible dangers, you’ll greatly reduce the chances of accidents occurring in the first place. At a minimum, you should look at having a monthly safety meeting where staff can air their concerns and you can reinforce measures you already take to look after your team.

Control access to and around your premises

As a company owner, you rightly need access to all departments in your firm; however, the same cannot be said of all employees. By fitting an access control system, you’ll be able to limit who goes where in your firm – plus revoke access rights if you have any problems. Limiting who has access to areas in your premises where you might hold high-value items or sensitive information will greatly protect your company from unwanted intrusions (both potentially from staff and also outsiders).

Look into added security measures

Fitting an alarm system should be a prerequisite in your commercial property but also look at adding additional security measures like automated lighting, CCTV cameras, adding bulletproof locks to doors and windows, etc. Today’s modern security tech has come a very long way in a very short time and there are now almost limitless gadgets such as buzzer entry systems and other tech you could fit to give you an added layer of protection.

Keep things clean

While the risks from dirt or grime might seem somewhat superficial, they could spell big problems for your company – particularly if you operate in the hospitality, food and drinks sector, etc. You should ensure your premises are cleaned regularly to increase the protection of your staff and customers.

Have fire safety measures in place – and ensure staff are properly trained

In the event of a fire at your premises, good sense can often go out the window as employees panic. You should ensure your employees are all properly trained on what to do should a fire occur in your workplace – and have the procedures drilled in so they become almost automatic. All employees should know instinctively where the fire exits are located in your premises – plus also know where the fire extinguishers can be found. As a backup, you should hold regular fire drills just to be sure that are all staff are up to speed and know what they should do if a fire occurs. If you’re not confident holding these drills, contact your fire alarm company, which will, in most cases, be more than happy to help.

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James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.