Every single business has taken a hit due to the pandemic, both in terms of employment opportunities, but also when it comes to sheer profitability and growth. Although we can hardly foresee such global issues, we can lead the way into a safer, healthier future when we start rethinking the workplace as a notion. The health and safety of any workplace have become two major prerequisites that any mindful employee will consider before choosing to join your team, but it will also impact your organization’s productivity levels and your ability to overcome a crisis of these proportions. Here are some tips to improve health and safety in the workplace.
Although we hope we will never again have to deal with such issues, understanding the most effective health and safety protocols for the workplace will allow you to boost your business success, employee satisfaction, and your industry reputation at the same time. The listed suggestions have been tried and tested by many companies during the pandemic, and they will surely help your business progress in the future.
Create A Clear Rulebook For Your Team
First and foremost, prepare a detailed rulebook with specific guidelines and actionable tips for your employees across different departments on everything they should do to stay healthy and safe. This rulebook should also include all the steps you as the leader will take to ensure their safety.
In addition to setting specific standards for your office safety and health, you also need to track your progress when it comes to implementing and abiding by these rules. Once you start evaluating your workplace health and safety, you’ll be able to spot opportunities for improvement and tailor a specific educational program for your workers, too.
Ensure Regular And Optimal Cleanliness
While your employees work from home, keeping their desks clean is a relatively simple issue. Once they come back to your office, on the other hand, you’ll need to increase the frequency of office cleaning, and also encourage your staff to stick to their own cleaning schedule for their gadgets and desks.
Hire professional cleaning staff to take care of your office, while you also provide hand sanitizers, fresh soap bars regularly, and tech-friendly cleaning products for phones, keyboards, desks, and the like. Remind your staff to keep social distancing until the pandemic dwindles, or at the very least wash their hands regularly upon interacting with other people on the premises.
Work With Health Professionals On-Site
Many industries, including construction, manufacturing, or even hospitality call for on-site health experts that will make sure your employees are truly safe. Especially if some of your employees have preexisting heart conditions and run the risk of cardiac arrest, healthcare professionals with advanced cardiac life support skills can be an asset in your organization.
No matter your industry, it’s vital that you work with properly accredited healthcare staff with ACLS certification in order to ensure your employees’ on-site safety and speedy reactions in case of an emergency. Depending on the size of your workforce, however, you might need more than one person handling health-related issues and people with more than one kind of certification – so make sure to choose wisely.
Provide Healthy Snacking And Meal Options
The pandemic has pushed forth a few important lessons on managing social interactions during future flu seasons, but it has also helped us appreciate our immune systems more than ever. If your workplace is generally healthy and burnout-free, you can also contribute to the overall well-being of your teams by encouraging and providing healthy eating options during lunch breaks.
Sure, the standard candy and goodies will be missed by some, but adding healthy vending machines and offering healthy lunch options will contribute to the overall safety and wellbeing at your workplace. Nourishing meals will boost productivity, give your teams an elevated sense of wellness, and you’ll give them the means to improve their resilience when it matters most.
Educate And Train Your Staff
Improving employee skills should already be your top priority, as it makes your company much more appealing to future candidates and it makes your workplace one that’s focused on progress for each individual under your roof. However, in addition to role-specific training and education, adding safety and health into the curriculum at the office will elevate the awareness of your employees with regards to these two crucial issues.
It will give them the fundamentals of building the right habits at the office, and thus keep everyone involved in the ever-changing processes of health and safety. They will get to know your local laws and regulations on safety at work, learn how they can contribute, and begin providing valuable feedback on how you as their supervisor can make it easier for everyone to ensure health and safety.
From occupational clinicians to healthy vending machines and keeping up with your team’s wellbeing, it all boils down to effective collaboration between you and your employees. Everyone needs to participate and express their needs, but they also need to embrace personal responsibility in the workplace to elevate their own health and safety. Follow these ideas and include them in your 2021 strategy to make sure your business thrives and your employees are happy.
