subject: Safety and health running a business - getting started [print this page] Safety and health running a business - getting started
Overall aim
For those starting out in business, as well as all the other decisions that have to become taken on the day to day basis, health and safety issues will in the end form a significant part of their considerations.
Every business have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of, not just their employees, but everybody who could be affected by the business, for example customers and suppliers. However, rather than merely making certain the business does the minimum necessary to comply, many realise that by embracing the entire concept it can do the business long-term good.
Just like illness and safety may have a detrimental impact on staff absences, so effective safety and health practices could be economical as well as increasing the company's reputation with staff and customers alike.
First steps
The first step in terms of preparing the brand new business, in making certain safety and health is really a priority is to notify the relevant authorities of the startup company. Some online companies no longer need to register using the Safety and health Executive, those working with hazardous substances or perhaps in a hazardous industry should obtain a licence or be necessary to get in touch with the HSE and certainly with their local authority.
Other course of action in relation to safety and health requirements, applicable to any start up business with employees, would be to consider taking out employer?s liability compulsory insurance to safeguard the firm against any claims from a worker who's injured at work or becomes ill as a result of their employment. Also, a firm also needs to appoint a competent person from within, to become responsible for safety and health inside the firm, to help ensure that all duties regarding health and safety, for example risk assessments etc are carried out.
Risk assessments
Risk assessments are required by law included in the steps that a business must take to safeguard people as far as is ?reasonably practicable?. Essentially it will help the business concerned to focus on those risks within the workplace that have the possibility to harm employees and every other people to the premises.
The HSE issues assistance with risk assessments and also the form they should take, and asks firms to identify the potential hazards, decide who might be harmed and just how, assess the risks and choose the precautions, record the findings and implement them and also review the assessment and update whenever it is thought necessary to do so.
A person within the company ought to be identified as being accountable for the danger assessment and should also have down to ensuring that the findings are applied and that controls are set up to avoid accidents and ill health from occurring.
Other action
Other action that a start up business should take includes writing its own health and safety policy, which can be done by the appointed person or perhaps in some other way. It must offer free health and safety training and supervision with everyone in the company having to know how to work safely and without risks to their or their work colleagues? health.
Also, the firm should bear in mind that all workforces have entitlement to have access to at least basic welfare facilities, including toilets, washing facilities, h2o and appropriate lighting and temperature.
