Your New Year’s Health and Safety Resolutions

After all the fireworks, champagne and party nibbles settle – it’s time to crack on ahead with 2017, with some fresh new resolutions.

The past year has seen plenty of health and safety headlines – so let’s make this year the safest one yet! And to get you started, here are a few helpful resolutions to keep in mind.

Teach it – don’t preach it

It’s easy enough to give a lot of bluster about the importance of health and safety – but are you all talk?

Having an awareness campaign for colleagues, workers or clients sounds like a great initiative, and it is. But follow it through with practical efforts to make sure your workplace is a safer one – from putting actionable plans in place, to making sure the relevant people have the skills they need to stay safe.

Share information

Reporting any information about potential hazards and risks, or incidents and accidents that have taken place is an essential part of keeping a workplace safe.

Of course, sharing information is only the start. Once a problem has been brought to attention, it’s no good burying your head in the sand! Create a plan to tackle it, and put it into motion.

Have regular Workplace risk assessments

Managing risks regularly and accurately is a key part of health and safety, and to do that, it means carrying out risk assessments on a consistent basis.

Not sure how to go about it? Check out the HSE’s Risk Assessment resources online – there’s plenty of detailed information and guidance sheets for different industries. Check out what is most relevant to you, and get stuck into the case studies to help put things into context.

Don’t take shortcuts

Shortcuts are pretty tempting.

They’re also the biggest factor behind most of the accidents and injuries that take place in workplaces across the UK.

From failing to wear proper protective gear for a few minutes, to not sorting out that nagging little fault on a machine, those shortcuts can end up being seriously costly when they lead to an accident – or even worse, a fatality.

So make it an important resolution – don’t cut corners or avoid dealing with issues, however trivial they might appear at first.

Put the right people in the right roles

Sharing health and safety responsibilities is key to making sure the whole team stays safe.

And to do that, it means recognising strengths and competency at different tasks, and making sure the right person is on the job.

Whether it’s working at heights or overseeing specialist equipment, most workplace activities require having a qualified or competent person supervising others.

If you don’t have someone who is qualified for the job in hand, then once again, don’t try to cut corners. Invest in proper training – your safety record will thank you for it.

Your takeaway points

Go into 2017 with a pro-active attitude to safety:

• share practical and actionable information to teach others about safety
• report any incidents or hazards promptly – and follow up on them
• carry out regular risk assessments to stay on top of new risks
• don’t take shortcuts with safety
• make sure you have qualified or competent people in charge of important roles

What will your resolutions for 2017 be? Share them with us in the comments!

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About David Cant

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.