Hazards in the workplace can differ greatly depending upon the nature of the job and its key operations. Therefore, after a risk assessment has been completed, correct working practices must be established to prevent incidents from happening. Emergency Response Planning must also be carried out to maintain safety for employees if a serious incident does occur.
In this article, we shall be outlining 8 key elements that must be included in Emergency Response Planning, based upon ACAS best practice principles.
Health and Safety at Work: Get It Right First Time!
Managing health and safety is a lot easier than you think. Abide by these measures to ensure that you’re compliant:
- Appoint a reliable member of staff to manage health and safety.
- Write a Health and Safety Policy outlining your objectives, including emergency evacuation procedures and the actions you’ll take to ensure these goals are met.
- Carry out regular risk analysis – you’re not expected to fully remove the recognised risks, but it is imperative to place suitable steps in place to control them and prevent personal injury and damage.
- Regularly communicate with employees to ensure that they’re aware of the health and safety policy – allow them to express their concerns and influence critical decisions made about health and safety.
- Provide comprehensive training in health and safety so that all personnel understand how to work correctly, reducing the potential risk of injury.
- Make sure that employees can receive immediate attention if they injure themselves, you should have trained first aiders, an emergency first aid kit and possibly an AED defibrillator in the building at all times during operations.
- You must display the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) certification in your workplace – this outlines the essential regulations and provides employees with a simple list of the health and safety requirements.
- Acquire employers liability insurance for the company, to help pay towards any compensation a worker may require from an accident or injury sustained at work.
An Emergency Response Planning and Coordination Course will provide professional guidance and advice on maintaining safety for employees if a serious emergency takes place. Regardless if you work in a high or low risk environment, there are training options available for all business requirements. Furthermore, by attending a heath and safety training program, you’ll develop an improved knowledge of your workplace hazards and be more effective in engaging employees to health and safety procedures in the future.
