As a business owner, you must be aware of your key responsibilities. One example of this is certainly health and safety. It is your duty to ensure that everyone who works for you and everyone who visits your business property is safe from any issues. However, this isn’t just about upholding an ethical standard. Failing to tick the right boxes here could have tremendous ramifications for your company in the long term which you must be aware of. 

For instance, it is possible that if an employee is injured while working for your company, they will sue your business. Recently companies have been inundated with PI claims. Some governments have claimed that the situation is no longer sustainable. That’s why the first step should be hiring a health and safety officer. They will check your business property for any potential threats to safety. Here are some of the main issues that will impact your health and safety standards. 

Air Quality

First, it’s possible that there’s an issue with the air quality in your business property. In a situation like this, it can lead to problems with both productivity and concentration. However, you might also notice breathing issues in some employees and clients. That’s why it’s vital that you maintain the right standard of air quality. One of the ways you can do this would be by keeping your air conditioning ducts well maintained. Companies such as Ductz services can help you here and ensure that you get the high quality solution required.

Poor Hygiene

Next, you should think about hygiene standards in your business. Poor hygiene standards will mean that it’s always going to be easier for illnesses and viruses to spread around your company. This became a major concern during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic but it’s still a problem today. As such, you need to make sure that you are thinking about keeping the systems running that are essential to good hygiene. Of course, it’s not just about keeping critical elements of your business running. Investing in both training and education will help a great deal here too. 

Low Checks

A further point to consider is how many checks you are completing through the year. There are various checks around your business that should be completed on an annual and bi-annual schedule to keep your company and your team safe. One example of this would be your sprinkler systems. If your business property has a sprinkler system, then this needs to be checked at least once a year. It’s common for areas of a system like this to corrode overtime. This will cause the sprinklers to malfunction and a fire to spread more quickly throughout your property. That situation is easily preventable. 

Incorrect PPE

If you’re running a business where there are significant physical dangers for employees, then you do need to make sure that you are investing in the right PPE and providing it to them. This could be as simple as offering team members PPE for hearing protection. Simple PPE like this can protect employees from significant hearing issues including tinnitus. It’s important to note that not all PPE like this is equal. As such, you do need to make sure that you are completing the right amount of research on the different PPE for your employees. It’s also worth spending a little more here to ensure that you do get the right quality. 

Bad Equipment

Finally, it’s possible that there are issues with health and safety tied to the equipment that you are using in your business. For instance, you could be using old equipment. Old equipment is not going to be ergonomic. This increases the chance of employees experiencing issues with RSI. RSI is now believed to be the most common type of injury impacting workers today. Bad equipment can also be dangerous if it malfunctions, particularly in heavy industrial sectors. That’s why you should research your equipment supplier carefully to ensure that there aren’t going to be any problems here for your company. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key issues that can obliterate the health and safety standards of your business. As well as causing trouble with your brand image, this could make it more difficult to gain support from the best workers for your company in the future and that’s just the beginning. It’s also possible that trouble here will lead to lawsuits. These could end up costing your business thousands. As well as the costly ramifications, they will be a near constant distraction from what you are attempting to achieve with your company.