It is vital that every workplace abides by national rules and regulations about health and safety. Many workplaces contain dangerous machinery and chemicals and demand that staff perform tasks that may even lead to injury. It is vital for any business that they adhere to guidelines and rules regarding workplace health and safety. This is as important on the factory floor as it is in the office and the last thing that any business wants is to face legal trouble because of an accident on site. For a more in depth look at H&s at work click here.
Seeking Health and Safety Training and Advice
The good news is that companies that specialise in this area can provide professional health and safety consultants in Ireland. If you are a business leader and you have questions about whether your company is adhering strictly to national rules and regulations in this area, it is a good idea to contact a company that provides training and advice in this area.
Typically, these companies provide training and advice in the following areas of health and safety concerns:
- Manual Handling: Picking up, lifting, and moving heavy objects such as boxes is common in many workplaces. Performing these tasks in the wrong way can place undue strain on the back and other parts of the body, potentially leading to injury. Most responsible workplaces do provide manual handling training so that the staff are aware of the correct way to perform these jobs, but it is sometimes useful to bring in a third-party professional trainer to provide refresher training for staff members.
- Chemicals: Factory and engineering environments often contain hazardous waste materials, powders, and chemicals. The correct handling of these substances is crucial to ongoing workplace health and safety, and the last thing that any employer wants is for an employee to come into contact with hazardous materials.
- Forklift: Very common in the warehouse, the forklift is an essential piece of equipment for moving and placing pallets and heavy containers. Responsible handling of the forklift is crucial to the safety of everyone on the floor, including the driver. Being aware of one’s surroundings, providing enough clear space, and knowing how to operate the machinery correctly are all part of training in this area.
Assessing Your Current Level of Risk
Though most business leaders do their best to adhere to health and safety regulations, the fact is that these rules are also subject to updates and improvements. This means that every workplace is responsible for keeping up to date when it comes to their knowledge and implementation of health and safety guidelines on their sites.
It is a good idea to hire a professional health and safety consultant to assess the workplace and make suggestions as to what can be improved. They can provide training and advice on the latest updates to health and safety rules and regulations. This ensures that the business is fully compliant with the most recent ISO standards and minimises the risk of something untoward happening in the workplace.
