As an employer, it is your responsibility to provide a safe work environment for all employees, free from any hazards and complying with all statutory requirements. Health and safety in the workplace is about preventing work-related injury and disease and designing an environment that promotes well-being for everyone at work. Knowledge is the key ingredient in providing a safe work environment—if everyone knows the correct procedures, then accidents and injuries can be kept to a minimum. Regular training is required for the same.
Employer Responsibilities with Health and Safety
Occupational health and safety procedures must be implemented wherever the work is being conducted, be that in an office, factory, construction site, or home. You should develop and have in place an occupational health and safety policy to meet the following standards:
• Ensure that the way work is done is safe and does not affect employees' health.
• Ensure that tools, equipment, and machinery are safe and are kept safe.
• Ensure that ways of storing, transporting, or working with dangerous substances are safe and do not damage employees' health.
• Provide employees with the information, instruction, and training they need to do their job safely and without damaging their health.
• Consult with employees about health and safety in the workplace.
• Monitor the workplace regularly and keep a record of what is found during the checks.
• Conduct safety and health audits regularly.
• Policies should be developed in consultation with all employees.
General Safety Issue Practices
• Keep the work environment clean. Throw away trash and empty the cans often, and keep floors free of obstacles and unnecessary items.
• Spills should be cleaned immediately to avoid slips.
• Immediately report any defects in the workspace, such as loose tiles, broken railings, broken doors, broken steps, etc.
• Refrain from participating in any form of horseplay.
• Keep sharp objects such as scissors, tacks, and razor blades in closed containers.
• Use the right tool for the job.
• Any neckties, long hair, jewelry, and other loose clothing should be kept well clear of any moving machinery parts.
• Air vents and air registers should be kept unobstructed.
• Furniture, equipment, or other materials should not be positioned in a way that they obstruct air movement or thermostats.
• Any pest control-related problems should be reported immediately.
• Pest control chemicals should be used only by experts.
Always have: S: Safe
A: Accident
F: Free
E: Environment
The most important way to prevent safety issues in the workplace is to use common sense at all times.
From India, New Delhi
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1141Employer Responsibilities with Health and Safety
Occupational health and safety procedures must be implemented wherever the work is being conducted, be that in an office, factory, construction site, or home. You should develop and have in place an occupational health and safety policy to meet the following standards:
• Ensure that the way work is done is safe and does not affect employees' health.
• Ensure that tools, equipment, and machinery are safe and are kept safe.
• Ensure that ways of storing, transporting, or working with dangerous substances are safe and do not damage employees' health.
• Provide employees with the information, instruction, and training they need to do their job safely and without damaging their health.
• Consult with employees about health and safety in the workplace.
• Monitor the workplace regularly and keep a record of what is found during the checks.
• Conduct safety and health audits regularly.
• Policies should be developed in consultation with all employees.
General Safety Issue Practices
• Keep the work environment clean. Throw away trash and empty the cans often, and keep floors free of obstacles and unnecessary items.
• Spills should be cleaned immediately to avoid slips.
• Immediately report any defects in the workspace, such as loose tiles, broken railings, broken doors, broken steps, etc.
• Refrain from participating in any form of horseplay.
• Keep sharp objects such as scissors, tacks, and razor blades in closed containers.
• Use the right tool for the job.
• Any neckties, long hair, jewelry, and other loose clothing should be kept well clear of any moving machinery parts.
• Air vents and air registers should be kept unobstructed.
• Furniture, equipment, or other materials should not be positioned in a way that they obstruct air movement or thermostats.
• Any pest control-related problems should be reported immediately.
• Pest control chemicals should be used only by experts.
Always have: S: Safe
A: Accident
F: Free
E: Environment
The most important way to prevent safety issues in the workplace is to use common sense at all times.
From India, New Delhi
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Thank you for the post. Being from Kolkata, you must be aware of the root cause of the AMRI Hospital fire. There must have been news in local papers as it was a serious issue claiming 92+ lives. If you can update on what the present status is, it will help all forum members.
Thanks & Regards,
Sudhir
From India, Vadodara
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Thanks & Regards,
Sudhir
From India, Vadodara
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First of all, I would like to welcome you to our forum on behalf of our CiteHR EHS team. Let's go to the topic and start discussing How to Provide a Safe Work Environment.
You shared a good write-up on this topic. It's not only an employer's responsibility; it's also an employee's responsibility to make their workplace safe. You mentioned that occupational health and safety procedures must be implemented. Yes, how the employer is going to implement and enforce the OHS procedure in our workplace is the important thing that will lead to a safe work environment. We need to know how they will enforce these things.
We never call good housekeeping or using the right tools for a job a safe work environment. I'm not saying I am right in my understanding of a safe work environment. The employer provides and gives the opportunity to employees to make a safe work environment. Even though the employer is primarily responsible for providing a safe work environment, once the employer enforces the OHS (whatever you call it) rules, employees should follow and implement them with their co-workers.
I strongly agree with you that the way to prevent safety issues in the workplace is to use common sense at all times. If we need to create a safe work environment as an employer's responsibility, they need to create guidelines, etc., on how to implement and enforce the rules. As employees, they are also responsible for following employer guidelines. If anyone fails to execute, no one can create a safe work environment in our site/workplace.
Thanks,
Regards
From United States, Fpo
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You shared a good write-up on this topic. It's not only an employer's responsibility; it's also an employee's responsibility to make their workplace safe. You mentioned that occupational health and safety procedures must be implemented. Yes, how the employer is going to implement and enforce the OHS procedure in our workplace is the important thing that will lead to a safe work environment. We need to know how they will enforce these things.
We never call good housekeeping or using the right tools for a job a safe work environment. I'm not saying I am right in my understanding of a safe work environment. The employer provides and gives the opportunity to employees to make a safe work environment. Even though the employer is primarily responsible for providing a safe work environment, once the employer enforces the OHS (whatever you call it) rules, employees should follow and implement them with their co-workers.
I strongly agree with you that the way to prevent safety issues in the workplace is to use common sense at all times. If we need to create a safe work environment as an employer's responsibility, they need to create guidelines, etc., on how to implement and enforce the rules. As employees, they are also responsible for following employer guidelines. If anyone fails to execute, no one can create a safe work environment in our site/workplace.
Thanks,
Regards
From United States, Fpo
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The Importance of Workplace Safety
Normally, employers think that safety is a waste and leads to escalating costs. However, they are forgetting that by providing a safe working environment, productivity will increase, leading to future benefits and long-term profitability. Now is the time to analyze how to educate employers about the importance of safety.
Thank you.
Regards.
From India, Kumbakonam
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Normally, employers think that safety is a waste and leads to escalating costs. However, they are forgetting that by providing a safe working environment, productivity will increase, leading to future benefits and long-term profitability. Now is the time to analyze how to educate employers about the importance of safety.
Thank you.
Regards.
From India, Kumbakonam
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The Importance of Safety in the Workplace
We all should bear in mind that "SAFETY IS NOT CHEAP." As Safety Professionals, it is our responsibility to make and implement the Safety Rules for the well-being of our organization, the employees, and the interested parties. If we make the management understand the importance of Safety implementation in the plant or organization, they will surely commit to the same.
Furthermore, regarding the employees, they must be provided with Safety-related training regularly. We can initiate Safety Talks Programs during tea breaks or other breaks. It is not a one-day job. Following the safety rules at the workplace has to become a habit among the employees.
Regards
From India, New Delhi
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We all should bear in mind that "SAFETY IS NOT CHEAP." As Safety Professionals, it is our responsibility to make and implement the Safety Rules for the well-being of our organization, the employees, and the interested parties. If we make the management understand the importance of Safety implementation in the plant or organization, they will surely commit to the same.
Furthermore, regarding the employees, they must be provided with Safety-related training regularly. We can initiate Safety Talks Programs during tea breaks or other breaks. It is not a one-day job. Following the safety rules at the workplace has to become a habit among the employees.
Regards
From India, New Delhi
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