Worldwide, around 340 million occupational oopsies and 160 million victims of work-related ouchies yearly. Quite alarming stats for business folks! As an employer and owner, it’s your gig to keep your peeps safe – the repercussions of slacking on that are no joke. If a team member or customer took a tumble on your turf, oh boy, brace for impact.
Your company might just hit a bump in the road with:
- Expensive and time-consuming legal cases,
- Costly compensation payments to the injured party
- Negative reputational impact from the media and social media reporting re the accident.
And of course, the ethical implications of neglecting your stakeholders? That’s like inviting chaos for yourself and a one-way ticket to Stressville for the unlucky injured soul!
Your duty of care to your employees
As a business owner or director, it’s your job to keep your team safe and sound at work. That means creating a safe space, giving them the know-how they need, and keeping an eye on their well-being. It’s all part of the gig!
- Safe machinery and equipment: check.
- Hazard-free zone: sorted.
- Training on gear: locked.
- Health and safety procedures: good to go.
- Keeping tabs on staff well-being: in progress.
- Helping out injured or ill employees: covered.
- Liability insurance for staff oopsies: done!
Your duty of care to your customers
You’ve got a duty to your customers – keep them as safe as a squirrel crossing a road! Make sure your shops are safer than a hedgehog in bubble wrap. Safety first, mate!
Customer concerns may involve:
- Keeping premises safe, hazard-free, and spick and span
- Fighting crime with CCTV and security guards – the modern-day superheroes
- Making sure everyone, including those with superpowers, can access the premises safely
- Training staff to handle emergencies like pros
- Getting that public liability insurance – just in case someone decides to do a slip-and-fall stunt
Your duty to provide relevant staff training and a continuity plan
Staff need to be as sharp as a tack on health and safety procedures, ensuring they’re on the ball to keep customers safe and sound. Having plans in place for mishaps or mayhem, be it staff shenanigans, customer calamities, or nature’s little surprises, is as crucial as a cup of tea on a rainy day.
Stay sharp on your training safety game:
- Keep tabs on risks with regular assessments to spot hazards.
- Cook up plans to dodge those risks like a pro chef.
- Set up a health and safety system that’s as solid as a cup of tea.
- Equip your team with the tools to work safely.
- Spread the word on safety to all – it’s the polite thing to do.
- Keep an eye on safety efforts like a hawk and tweak where needed.
Get your health & safety up to speed
By prioritising health & safety, you’re not just doing right by your team, customers, and suppliers – you’re basically the superhero of your business! Shielding stakeholders, reputation, and trust in your brand. Check out this government guide for those safety tips!
More advice on health & safety in the workplace [New Zealand version]
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