Preventing injury in the workplace

We’ve already looked briefly at steps you can take to ensure some of the more common workplace mishaps don’t happen. However, there are specific policies and routines which can be introduced to reinforce this.

3.A

Setting up a workplace health and safety policy

Before you begin writing your policy, you need to have your end goals in mind. Obviously, your main target will be to heighten the safety of everyone who works for your organisation.

This is just one element of having a plan in place. Other things you’ll have to keep in mind includes the likes of:

  • Deciding what could potentially cause harm in the first place
  • Creating a priority list for the changes you intend to make
  • Working out who’s going to be responsible for what role
  • Figuring out a way to monitor if the changes have been successful

Once you’ve assessed all of these elements, the creation of the policy itself can be broken down into three sections:

1.

The general statement.

This section outlines the overall aim of each individual policy you’re trying to implement. This can vary from something as simple as keeping employees updated on health and safety issues, to maintaining a safe working environment at all times.

2.

The responsibility section.

You need to assign each role mentioned in the previous section to an employee. This shouldn’t be dropped on a person. Make sure they’re happy to be in charge of preventing others from coming to harm, and have the right experience to do so.

3.

The arrangements section.

This is effectively the area where you explain how you’re going to do what you’re proposing. If you’ve said you want to keep employees updated on health and safety policies, you’d need to consider the steps e.g. that the person in charge of this would need to regularly consult with staff on the subject.

If you’re unsure of how to best structure your policy, you can reference HSE’s example for inspiration. They break up this template into the three sections we’ve mentioned. Splitting up the sections in this way makes it easier to both write and manage heading forwards.

2.B

Performing drills and routines

While a lot of health and safety exercises are carried out behind the scenes, there may be cause to evacuate the entire workplace. So this doesn’t come as a major surprise to your workforce, it’s useful to hold regular drills.

That doesn’t mean setting the fire alarm off every week. Bi-annual events which see you practice exiting a building in a calm, but timely manner can be incredibly useful in the unlikely event of afire or natural disaster.

While it might not be something you give much thought to, there’s a checklist you need to follow when it comes to carrying out these kinds of drills:

  • Escape routes. Where and what are they? Make sure you have your full escape route planned prior to any drill. If it seems like it could be troublesome, this drill gives you the chance to correct anything.
  • Meeting places. You need to designate one spot as the area in which everyone is going to meet during an evacuation. It might be that you need more than one area if you operate a large business.
  • Signage. Make sure you have clearly signposted directions and instructions. These should be dotted throughout the exit route someone is taking.
  • Alarms. You need to check your alarm systems are fully operational. This is again a perfect opportunity to test this.
  • Timing. All aspects of a drill need to run smoothly. If you notice people aren’t evacuating quickly enough, this is something you can address for next time.

Ultimately, these drills will help you to both practice and highlight any issues with the process which can be improved for the future.

3.C

Medical kits and safety equipment

In order to ensure the highest level of protection for workers, an employer should call on the use of specialist equipment, including:

Medical kits.

Having a fully stocked first aid kit to hand can help in many scenarios. Some of the most important equipment to include in these kits are things like plasters, bandages, dressings, cleansing wipes and adhesive tape.

Eye protection.

Splashback from dangerous liquids or extreme light levels (when welding, for example) can lead to long-term damage. Safety goggles, face shields and basins to wash your eye in if something gets into it.

Respiratory protection.

Disposable masks are usually the way to go when you’re trying to protect your lungs. They offer a fast and flexible means of blocking potentially deadly gases and particles from getting where they shouldn’t. This is particularly important in jobs where you’re working with a lot of dust and particulate matter.

Head protection.

Hard hats are a must for anyone working in environments where there’s the potential for falling objects to cause them harm. Head injuries have the potential to be more deadly than other kinds of accidents.

Hearing protection.

We’ve already discussed the potential dangers involved with noise pollution. In environments where this could cause a problem, equipment like ear defenders and ear plugs are often a go-to.

Certain workplaces lend themselves to the use of PPE equipment more than others. But it’s important to remember all offices and work environments should have a first aid kit to hand.

3.D

What to do if someone is hurt at work

Despite your best efforts, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to prevent injuries. If something does go wrong, it’s important to know how to appropriately react. Immediately responding in the right way can make a big difference.

In order to prevent the worst, make sure to follow this set of steps:

1.

Take care of your employee.

Your first concern should be to care for your injured worker. If they need emergency help, call 999. If the injury is less severe, get them to your designated medical care area.
It’s worth sending one or more of your employees on training courses to teach them what they need to do in the case of an emergency. This includes knowing exactly how to react in the moment, as well as basics like the recovery position.

2.

Cordon off the area.

If something serious has happened which needs investigating, make sure to restrict access to the area. Also make sure to preserve any items which were involved in the accident. These could be crucial when it comes to any legal hearings.

3.

Report it.

Under the rules of RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation), you need to report any injury. A full report must be made within 10 days of the incident if the person is off work for less than a week, or 15 days if they’ve been out of work for 7 days or more (not including the day of the accident).

The injury report must include the following:

  • A full summation of what happened
  • An explanation of the injury sustained
  • All the equipment and machinery which was used
  • The date and rough time of the accident
It’s also important to keep a full record of what happened for legal purposes. This can referred back to at a later date if needed in a legal case.

4.

Return-to-work programme.

If someone is going to be off for a long period of time, consider implementing a plan to slowly reintroduce them into the workplace.

If someone you’re working with or for gets injured, make sure these steps are followed. Remember, what’s most important is ensuring the person who’s been hurt receives the medical care and attention they need.