Having a safe workplace is not only a legal obligation, keeping your employees safe from harm is the right thing to do, morally and financially. If you’re a small business, managing safety is even more important, because a few employees being off sick, or compensation payments for injuries sustained at work can be enough to put your business in financial trouble.
But a safe workplace doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Here’s how you can improve safety if you’re on a budget. The good news – we can help you!
Hire the right people
When you’re hiring employees, don’t cut corners. Make sure they have skills, experience, and aptitude for the job. This will make errors and safety lapses a lot less likely.
Don’t skimp on training
Employees need to be appropriately trained, and there’s no getting around this. While the training is an unavoidable initial expense, you can hold in-house refreshers when needed or give employees access to e-learning or similar to help refresh their skills.
Give your employees the right message
Some businesses give out the message that productivity is more important than safety, and this is obviously deeply flawed. As a business owner or manager, you should be communicating that you want to run a safe workplace and actively introduce processes, procedures, and initiatives to make it happen. If you show your employees that safety is important, they’ll take it more seriously, but if you cut corners, so will they.
Give employees access to the right tools and equipment
If you want employees to do their job safely and efficiently, you have to make sure that they are provided with the right tools and equipment. You can’t expect workers to lift overly heavy loads without manual handling aids, or to work at height or with dangerous substances without the right equipment or PPE. This is just asking for trouble. If workers are under pressure to get a job done fast, they might disregard safety, but it might pay to remember that the cost of PPE, or the right tools or equipment will probably be considerably less than the cost of paying long-term sick pay or injury compensation.
Promote safety across your business
Don’t be the boss who values whoever gets the job done quickest with no regard for personal safety or the safety of others. Instead, value people who work diligently to get the job done safely and correctly. Actively encourage employees to come forward with any suggestions on how safety can be improved because they are the ones who are on the frontline and they know the hazards and risks involved with their job better than anyone.
Always listen to concerns and suggestions
Following on from the last point, always listen if workers voice a concern about safety, whether it’s about faulty equipment or corners being cut. How many times have you heard of companies being prosecuted for the injury or death of an employee that was caused by a piece of faulty machinery they had been warned about countless times?
You can have a safer, more productive workplace even when you’re on a budget
Our sack trucks range includes many different models to suit a range of budgets, but we believe that you should never have to sacrifice safety and quality because you don’t have a huge budget for equipment.
Our budget sack trucks are very friendly on the pocket and there’s no compromise on quality. Whether you are looking for a traditional all-round Sack Truck for the general transportation of goods through the workplace or a Compact Aluminium Stairclimber, you’ve come to the right place.
Our Budget Sack Trucks are strong, durable, and affordable, and they are our number one best seller. They’re made from weather resistant powder-coated steel, they’re available in two different sizes to suit all professional working environments, and they are equipped with robust 200mm rubber wheels that glide across all floor surfaces with ease.
They’re a perfect choice for warehouses, schools, supermarkets, loading bays, and just about anywhere where larger boxes and bulky items need to be moved regularly, these Budget Sack Trucks are a great investment for any workplace.
Our Compact aluminium stairclimber might be lightweight but it’s sturdy. It’s made from durable aluminium, and it’s ideal for daily use in many different working environment. The classic 3-star system with 58mm wheels allows for easy operation on stairs. It easily folds for storage and includes a load strap storage compartment.