The COVID-10 pandemic has highlighted the need for your business to have a comprehensive health and safety strategy. Although this has always been important in order to comply with regulations, the events of 2020 have shown us just how critical this strategy is for all aspects of your business. Health and safety is not only important in terms regulations but also to protect your staff, clients, and your business interests.
Even with a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, the pandemic is far from over. Furthermore, this is not the only illness or germ that can impact on your business. Remote communication, efficient waste management, and deep cleaning are the most important factors businesses must consider. In this article, we’ll outline the 7 key things to remember when creating your business’ health and safety strategy for 2021.
Contactless Communication and Quick Updates
Before anything else, make sure to implement a fast and efficient contactless communication system to keep staff on board by:
- Raising awareness of the health & safety standards
- Real-Time checklist and reporting
- Using streaming software for contactless communication
- Updating and communicating health & safety protocols or SOPs
Having your staff well-trained and invested in the process will be essential for the success of your health and safety strategy.
7 Things to Remember When Creating Your Business’ Health & Safety Strategy for 2021
Once a reliable and fast communication system is ready, it is time to focus on the creating your business’ health & safety strategy for 2021. Following are some of the things you must not overlook:
1. Medical Waste Management
This is most relevant to hospitals and labs but the fact is that all established businesses have first aid emergency kits for their staff. Medical waste is one of the major health and safety risks for any business. Do not forget to ensure proper and timely management of medical waste. You may consider outsourcing professional services such as PHS collect to ensure proper handling of medical waste and protect your staff and clients.
2. Encourage Instant Reporting of Issues
It is important to educate your employees on the importance of promptly reporting violations of SOPs. There is a tendency to overlook apparently insignificant violations but a zero tolerance approach is critical. Managers must let these violations go unanswered. A quick and serious response is necessary to protect the safety and health of each individual in the workplace.
3. There is No Room for Shortcuts
Sometimes, in an attempt to minimize costs, companies try to rely on substandard solutions. However, there is no room for shortcuts when it comes to health and safety. Increase the frequency of deep cleaning, invest in hygiene by hiring top-rated professionals to get rid of hazardous waste, and install the most reliable safety equipment.
4. Avoid Staff Crowding
It may threaten the productivity of your business, but it is your responsibility to reduce the number of employees working at a given time to comply with best health and safety practices. You can minimize negative impacts on output by moving to a remote work model, while remotely supervising workflow, monitoring checklists, and clearlycommunicate deadlines.
5. Create a Safe Working Environment
In addition to providing a comfortable work environment for your employees, it is also important to make sure your staff have the right equipment to do their job safely. This includes implementing ergonomic solutions to avoid strain or injury. Equally, minimize the risk of infection within the workplace by making sure that any staff member that feelsunwell does not come into work.
Related post: Encourage your Staff to Maintain Good Workplace Hygiene
6. Set Up a Safety Task Force
It is important to train and empower your staff so that they have the skills to handle any situation that may occur in the workpace, including an emergency. A great idea is to set up a dedicate safety task force: this is a group of employees who are trained in first aid and health and safety protocols. Not only will they be the first to respond in the event oan accident or an emergency, but they can also identify possible risks and hazards in the workplace, and bring them to management’s attention to be addressed.
7. Set a Personal Example
Being a manager, supervisor, or the owner of the business, it is essential that you lead by example. This will send the message that you care about health and safety, and even more importantly, you practice what you preach. Your staff will not be motivated to comply with strict rules and regulations if they see that their superiors don’t take these seriously.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that health and safety is of paramount importance. We’ve seen how the spread of infection can not only hurt individuals, but also businesses and even whole economies. This is not something that businesses only need to pay attention to during a pandemic: exemplary health, hygiene and safety strategies that are properly implemented will allow you business to function properly, and put it in the best position to grow and thrive in 2021.
