Archive for May, 2011

Office Safety Meeting Topics

May 15th, 2011

Given below are some of the basic safety meeting ideas that can be used for initial safety meetings. These general and basic topics will help you introduce the whole concept and objectives of safety meetings to your employees.

  • Safety regulations in the workplace
  • Why safety is important at workplace
  • Importance of using office safety tips
  • Importance of following safety measures
  • Importance of drafting and following safety policies by an organization
  • How to use safety materials and tools in the workplace
  • What to do in case fire erupts
  • What to do in case of a power failure
  • Ways to prevent injuries in the workplace
  • What to do when natural calamities strike, like earthquake, tsunami, cyclone, etc.
  • How to handle automated machinery safely in the workplace
  • Ways of preventing violence and abuse in the workplace
  • What to do in case of computer crash
  • Encouraging safety training programs
  • How to implement safety policies
  • How to apply safety rules, regulations and measures

These were some of the primary subjects that can be a part of your safety meeting agenda for the first few sessions. Slowly, you can choose more specific topics with detailed information. Given below are some more safety meeting topics that you can personalize as per your needs and requirements:

  • Investigating the cause of accidents in the workplace
  • Importance of conducting safety patrol and audit finding
  • How to ensure eye and ear protection
  • How to prevent hand and foot injuries
  • Risks associated with new projects
  • Precautions to be taken before entering the new plant
  • How to handle electrical appliances in the workplace
  • Encouraging drug free work environment
  • How to avoid slips, trips, falls, and spills in the workplace
  • Importance of reporting an almost accidental incident
  • How to prevent chemical exposure
  • What precautions to be taken near the pool area
  • How to use safety symbols, sign, and labels
  • Devising and revising safety training, rules, rescue and evacuation plans
  • How to manage stress effectively
  • How to deal with bomb threats in the workplace
  • Ways of conducting inspection in the workplace
  • Role of emergency response teams
  • Importance of emergency response training
  • Safety measures to be followed while traveling
  • Importance of ergonomic arrangement
  • How to use first aid kit available in the workplace
  • Safety measures to consider while using the ladder
  • How to handle glass safely
  • How to prepare office safety checklist

These were some of the specific safety meeting topics for office. You can come up with some more office safety topics that are relevant for the industry. For example, given below are some of the construction safety meeting topics:

  • How to use safety glasses and glares properly
  • Importance of using safety gloves in the workplace
  • Are protective dusk masks being used?
  • Importance of wearing proper footwear
  • Knowledge of proper lifting, carrying, and bending techniques

With these ideas on office safety meeting topics it is easier for you to conduct safety meetings. But make sure that you make the sessions interesting and participative so that the employees pay attention and understand each safety topic properly.

Health & Safety Legislation for Small Business Owneres

May 13th, 2011

Firstly, and most importantly, most health and safety matters come down to basic common sense – as an employer you will be liable if you knowingly put your employees, associates and members of the public at unnecessary risk. This does not mean that anything remotely risky is out of bounds because if this was the case you would never be able to do anything – every activity includes some element of risk and the law accepts this.

Health & Safety Policies
This document needs to set out your businesses policy in regards to health and safety matters – what hazardous operations you undertake, the risks these entail, what systems you have in place, who’s responsible for what and when.

Risk Assessments
What you really need to do is to consider these risks and, wherever practical and economically viable, eliminate or reduce them.

In everyday life you carry out risk assessments without even realizing it. For instance when you cross the road you weigh up the various risks, eliminate them wherever possible and take the safest and most sensible course of action.

Doing a risk assessment in a business environment is much the same process except that you need to record it in some way, then, if there is an incident, you can show that you took all ‘reasonable’ precautions beforehand.

Identify the Hazards

Consider ways that someone could be harmed – Consider some reasonable precautions – Put this in writing and keep it – Review and amend these assessments on a regular basis – If you are not sure then get expert advice form your trade association, product manufacturers and the Health & Safety Executive.

Welfare & Training
You are responsible for your workers health and general welfare and you need to provide safe and secure working environment. Good lighting, washing and toilet facilities, a supply of drinking water and regular safety training and the provision of safety clothing and equipment are all essentials that can not be overlooked.

Insurance
By law you are required to have adequate employer’s liability insurance in place.

Fire Safety
If you operate your business from a building then you are responsible for complying with the relevant the fire safety legislation, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – in the UK. You will need to carry out a fire risk assessment and to make sue there are adequate means of warning and escape if a fire does occur. For a very small business this need not be too complicated and is something someone can easily do themselves. A larger company with many employees may need to get expert help in order to comply with the legislation.