Running a business is never easy, so don’t assume that it’s a quick way to make some money because it’s the complete opposite. If anything, initially you won’t be earning anything at all, as all the money you have will be put into building your business and getting it off the ground. You can’t expect to make an income, let alone profit, until you are all settled. This could take a few months, a year, or multiple years. So you need to think about all of the risks before taking the leap.
One risk you shouldn’t ever take is with safety. Safety is one of the biggest things you need to ensure within your business. Without safety, there are tons of things that can go wrong – this is the last thing you want to worry about because you have so many other responsibilities to deal with. It’s important to understand that the more employees you begin to hire, the more you need to pay attention, as there is more to look after. Not only in terms of your team but all of your equipment and systems that you use too.
Here is how to maintain the safety of your employees, while growing stronger as a team.
Clear emergency exit
Every single room should have a clear fire exit/emergency exit in the event of an emergency. While these are usually always fitted before people move in, it is vital that they are kept clear. It should be lit up clearly and positioned somewhere that everyone can see it. If it was dark and all the lights went out, or the room was filled with smoke, it should still be visible from the light that it provides. You also need to make sure that there is nothing blocking the exit itself. This means a chair that has been pushed back, the trash can, or any other clutter that may build up over time if people allow it to.
A listening ear
The safety of your employees is your responsibility, and if they are seriously concerned about something, like another employee who is being inappropriate or threatening, they should feel as though they can come to you at any time to discuss an incident. Your job isn’t to judge them, regardless of what information they are telling you. You should provide them with all the appropriate support that they need, and if what they are telling you is serious, you may have to suspend a member of staff or let them go completely. You may even have to report them to the police if the matter is out of your hands.
The appropriate training
The thing that you can never afford to overlook, is the training. Every time you bring on a new employee, it is essential that they go through all the appropriate training courses so that your business has an American Safety Council OSHA card. This is something that proves that you as a business, has met with all the necessary safety requirements. It’s a good idea to give out regular training every few months so that everyone can brush up on their skills if need be. This ensures all of your staff, including yourself, is always on the ball and ready for anything.
Provide comfortable chairs
That may sound rather strange, but you would be surprised as to how many injuries at work are all caused by cheap chairs. When sitting at a desk, your employees should have all the essential support on their back and neck so that they don’t have to strain at their desk. If they don’t have this, what may start out as a slight niggling sensation in the back, may turn into getting a trapped nerve and having to take time off work because they can’t walk properly and are in extreme pain. So pay the extra bucks for comfort.
Install protective software
There are many bad people out there in the world that lurk around on computer systems and wait for someone to slip up, only to then break into a system and steal as much information as they can. This is extremely dangerous because it can not only harm and tarnish you as a business, losing you money and potential customers, but it can cause a danger to your employees too.
Hackers may steal the identities of your staff because they have all the information they need from your computers, so make sure that you download protective software to ensure this can’t happen. Essentially it builds a virtual wall around vital information so hackers can’t break in and take it.