Resources and Education On Bringing Your Business Up To Par
If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, or startup, implementing health and safety policies for your employees can seem like a real headache. Thankfully, there are free resources out there that make it simple to lay the foundation for a healthy and happy safety compliant workforce.
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Employers in the US can find available support for free on the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) site. Along with easy to follow guides, you can also find out about the Safety and Health Achievement Program (SHARP). This program gives recognition to small business employers who set the bar for excellence in running illness and injury prevention programs.
Stay SHARP
Striving to achieve a SHARP status can really give your business something to aim for, and the recognition comes with some great benefits. As well as being exempt from OSHA inspections for two years, you’ll also receive lower worker compensation insurance premiums, improve employee retention, and reduce the number of sick days. All of this will make you an ethical and money-savvy business owner.
Invest In Your Company’s Future
When it comes to illness and injury it seems that safety is just good business sense. OSHA states that, “An effective safety and health program can save $4 to $6 for every $1 invested.”
Depending on the type of business you run, putting health and safety first won’t cost you anything more than the ink and paper of a risk assessment form and taking a few hours to think about a contingency plan. For others, some capital is needed, but in the long term this investment always pays off.
Implementing Your Policy
In order to be successful, your program will need:
- Buy-in from management and employees
- Risk assessment
- Hazard prevention measures
- Training and education
- An evaluation to measure compliance
Make sure you put your company’s health and safety policy in a place where everyone can see it and that you have consulted a few key staff on your policies.
A lot of health and safety policy is just plain common sense, so make sure that all necessary equipment is well-maintained and you only allow properly-trained employees to do any job. You should carry out preparedness drills to practice what you would do in the event of an accident, especially for new employees.
Illness and staff sick days can be a major problem. As an employer, you should make sure that you have a medical program tailored to the type of business you are running. Put appropriate business health coverage in place for your workers and you’ll find the initial investment will pay off over time.
Health and Safety Around the World
Your business might only operate in the US for now, but what if you decide to expand overseas or start working with international partners? Having some knowledge of what constitutes an acceptable standard could stand you in good stead.
Most of the highly industrialized nations like the US, Canada, and the UK, have detailed and enforceable standards of health and safety in the workplace.
In developing nations and third world countries, there are higher instances of employers failing to provide safe working environments, equipment, and policies. Corruption and poverty levels all play a part in removing the incentive for employers to enforce health and safety. Should you branch out into foreign markets, make sure you investigate conditions on partner sites to avoid exposure to negative press and association with unethical workplace conditions.
Remember: safety is good for business.