Employers have a great deal of responsibility when it comes to the health and welfare of their employees. Employers are not just responsible for the physical health for their employees. They are also responsible for the mental and emotional wellbeing of their employees also. In the sections below we have outlined some steps in ensuring the health of your employees.

Emergency Plans and Fire Drills

All employers should carry out an initial site evaluation. All potential hazards on the premises should be noted. This also includes a full plan for evacuation of the building in the event of an emergency. To prepare this plan you will need to note where all the potential exits are in the building. You will also need to note how you will organise all employees in the building in a safe manner while exiting the building.

While it is essential to plan; practise of your procedures is vital as people may panic in the event of an emergency. It is extremely important that you conduct fire drill to ensure that everyone in the building understands the safety procedures in the event of an emergency. To conduct these fire drills you should ensure that you have selected designated fire captains or marshals to organise all the other employees. They will also be responsible for timing the drill. Records of all drill times should be kept and analysed to improve performance. You should note a desired time for exiting the building in your emergency plan and work towards this in your emergency fire drills.

Health and Safety Training

While it is very important to prepare for emergencies it is equally important to prepare for injuries that employees could possibly incur during the normal course of their work. The first thing that you will need to is look at your previous health and safety records within the workplace. You should look back on all the organisation’s accidents, near-misses and causes of sickness or ill-health. You should also take into account some personal health issues that some employees may have that could cause them to be at risk while in work. You then need to look at what training may be required in order to deal with these incidents again.

After carrying out an initial risk assessment you will then need to prioritise certain risks with training. We would advise that all organisations prioritise first aid training. First Aid can be crucial in initially treating an injury or illness. This initial treatment can be vital in ensuring the injured person is kept in a stable state before being treated by medical professionals.