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3 Ways To Keep Your Employees Safe At Work

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Keep your employees safe|3 Ways To Keep Your Employees Safe At WorkIf you employ people, there is a lot more to think about than just how much you’ll pay them and what you want them to do in return for that money. As an employer, you have a number of different responsibilities toward your employees, and one of those responsibilities is to ensure they are safe at work. The better you can take care of them, the happier they will be, and that leads to better productivity, and as well as this, it’s the ethical thing to do. Here are some suggestions about how to keep your employees safe at work; this is just a start, and there are plenty more ideas to consider as well.

Create A Welcoming Work Environment

In order for an employee to be safe, they must also feel safe, and as such, the working environment you offer them has to make them feel that way – it has to be welcoming and easy to use. When your employees feel safe and comfortable, they will be able to focus on their work rather than being worried about anything going on around them.

To help make the space more comfortable and welcoming, you can do a variety of different things. Some include offering your staff ergonomic furniture, ensuring there is plenty of natural light in the office or warehouse, getting your boiler serviced by Bensons Gas to keep the heating working and ensure there is enough hot water, and creating break rooms so that people have somewhere to go away from their desks.

Assess The Environment

It’s also a good idea to assess the working environment to see if there are any hazards around that you can remove or at least reduce the risk of harm regarding. Carry out a full risk assessment of the workspace (including all outside areas and vehicles) and you’ll instantly be able to see if there are any areas that could be improved in terms of safety and comfort.

As part of the risk assessment, it’s wise to ask your team if there are any issues they are concerned about or anything that makes their job harder, or unsafe. These are things that you might not spot as you walk around doing your risk assessment, especially if you don’t get actively involved in the work your team does. Once you have all the information, it’s important to make changes quickly before there are any accidents and before your staff starts to feel as though you’re just not listening to them.

Offer Training

Sometimes it won’t necessarily be the workplace that’s unsafe; it might be that your team has a lack of training, which can make things that would normally be fine a potential hazard. If they don’t know how to use a particular piece of machinery, or they aren’t aware of the rules regarding safety in the workplace, accidents could happen.

Therefore, you must offer regular training to your team. Everyone who you employ should have an initial session of training to help them understand what is required and what they need to do, but it shouldn’t end there. Ideally, the training should be a regular thing for all employees, no matter how long they have worked for you or what their position is. In this way, you can be sure everyone knows how to keep themselves safe at work.

Creating a Conducive Work Environment

Your employees are the backbone of the business. Even with great ideas and business plans, nothing can get done without your team. That is why providing them with a place to work that is a conducive work environment helps to ensure that they can do their work in a much more productive and effective manner. How can you create a work environment that is effective, without having to raise costs? Here are some things to think about.

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article | Creating a Conducive Work Environment

Remove bad vibes

If there are any employees who are getting into ‘trouble’ with their coworkers on a regular basis, then they create some unnecessary stress and unnecessary tension in the workplace. This can impact more people and stop them from doing their job as they would like to. So it is important to step in as management when this kind of thing happens, to give them enough warning so they can adjust their attitude, and take steps to deal with the issues. When it comes to hiring new people, look for people who will be a good fit for the role, but also fit into the culture of the business and existing team. A mix of personality and skills is a must for new candidates.

Incorporate branding into the workspace

We all know that when employees are at work, they will also be thinking about other things, and doing some other things. They might need to take a personal call, book an appointment on their lunch break, or deal with a personal issue when getting on with their workload. Which is why having some branding in the office can make a big difference. When the theme of the business and the brand runs throughout the work space, it can spark creativity, and helps give employees a focus when working. They only have to look around and see a custom flag or brand colors on the wall to remember where they are and what they should be doing. Simple things can make a difference and help your team to work more productively.

Use technology

It is so important to look at and harness the power of technology in the workplace. It can streamline what you are already doing, and improve things like management, cash flow, and other aspects of the business that can be prone to human error. Technologies and collaboration tools so cost the business money. They also need to involve some learning, which is why some businesses can be shy to use them and embrace them as much as they could. The costs associated will pale in comparison to the benefits that can be gained, so that is an important thing to think about.

An effective and productive work environment for your team is one that is not just rewarding for your team and the business, but one that is also safe. Look for ways to make the office a safe space to be, and that can help too. People aren’t going to stay working with you if they are just working in an office space that is full of accidents that are waiting to happen.

Great Ways To Improve Your Work Environment

Being a business owner, whether it is a small company or a larger one, is one of the most challenging activities, which is one of the reasons why not everyone can launch a business and make it work long-term. Entrepreneurs have a lot of commitments and daily responsibilities to take care of; besides having the necessary knowledge and skills to start a business, one has to be truly organized and know how to establish relationships with workers. As no one likes working in a disorganized environment, it is important to make changes to the workplace. It is a well-known fact the productivity of the employees is often linked to the environment where they have to perform their tasks.

Optimizing that space and making it look and feel as comfortable and welcoming as possible should be the main priority for business owners. Making a small investment is worth it in this case because your workforce will appreciate your effort and your company will benefit a lot from that. Contrary to popular belief, improving the work environment does not always involve spending large amounts of money. With the help of some simple yet effective tips, business owners can improve the mood, drive, and performance of their workers.

Hire Great Team Members

In order to be able to make a business work, it is essential to hire the best professionals out there. The hiring process is the first step to creating a great work environment. Generally, professional people have a positive attitude and know how to handle difficult situations. If you already have a team of workers, you might want to take some time and assess their work performance. Don’t be afraid to let go of those who are not good enough for your company. You want to avoid hiring toxic workers at all costs as they will easily transform the general atmosphere from a normal one to a negative one, which will decrease the productivity of your workforce. Let poisonous employees go no matter how hard it is for you.

Improve Communication

Working as a team leads to success. As a business owner, you need to be careful when communicating with your team members as your message can be misunderstood. A simple way of motivating workers to become better is by making them feel valued and giving them positive feedback. Your employees need to understand that their work is very valuable and it contributes to the success of your business. Moreover, they need to be able to establish connections between them and know how to communicate effectively. Improving communication is simple if you keep your employee’s feedback in mind. Ask them how they feel about this aspect and think of ways of showing gratitude for their work.

Create a Comfortable Office

One of the most important aspects that provide great results is the office where your employees perform their work. You need to make sure that little aspects such as lighting and office furniture are comfortable enough for your workforce. Working in a clean, organized office can have great effects on the team members and their relationships with both you and each other. For example, you need to allow employees to work in a comfortable place, whether it is a certain area of the office or a standing desk. If the furniture of your office is considered “bad” or “uncomfortable” by the workers, they will be less productive. A virtual office is a great option in this case because they are a lot cheaper and provide all kinds of facilities.

Add a Nice Smell

According to academic studies, there is a close relationship between certain scents and memories. They found that certain scents can have a positive impact on people. Although different people can react in different ways to certain smells, there are subtle scents that add to the overall atmosphere. Therefore, if you’re working with traditional office space, you can add a few flowers and plants to each corner of the office. For a fresh and clean atmosphere, you can count on air fresheners. However, opening windows or burning a scented candle has a great effect as well. A cheap bouquet of fresh cut flowers works wonders in any office. It does not only elevate the aesthetics of the place, but it also provides a fresh smell.

Schedule Breaks

Breaks are an important part of the workday. Most workers tend to stare at their screen for a long period of time without taking any breaks for their eyes. You should encourage your employees to take regular eye breaks each time they get a chance. Even a few moments of looking away can make a big difference for the health of their eyes. At the same time, it is just as important to step away from what you are doing. When you step away from your work and focus on your surroundings, you come back with a fresh pair of eyes and mind. You can create a relaxing room where workers can play games, chat or listen to music while they are on their lunch break. Make sure breaks take place often in so that you can prevent burnout.

Water and Snacks

Work days are long and tiring, and people need to stay hydrated all through the day. Nonetheless, water is a pain to drink for some. A great way of motivating people to drink water while they work is by adding a bottle next to their desk. Water improves brain functioning, prevents headaches and makes you feel fresh. As plain water is boring for some, it might be a good idea to provide workers with either flavored water or lemon and fresh mint so that they can prepare lemonade. Moreover, taking a few short snack breaks is just as important when it comes to improving the work environment and the general atmosphere. Workers are encouraged to disconnect from work, communicate with one another and leave their chairs for a few minutes.

No matter where you work, you need to make an effort to create a comfortable space. These tips might come in handy whether you are a business owner or a simple worker. They can be easily customized to your needs as there is no strict recipe for success.

How to Create a Stress-Free Work Environment

Unfortunately, in today’s society, jobs are becoming more and more difficult to come by. Maybe that’s why some companies are starting to put pressure on their employees. Being stressed at work can come with many disadvantages, but some of the main ones include lack of productivity, constant pressure between employees, lack of professional growth and development, long and inflexible work hours, job insecurity and many more.

Regardless of the workspace or type of work that employees need to perform, it is important to create a more relaxing and chilled environment. In order to do so, it is vital to think about a great variety of aspects.

What are the main reasons for that certain pressure? Is stress generated because the office is too cluttered? Or is it because of the lack of communication? Either way, both the employer and the employees need to discuss these aspects and make some changes. At the end of the day, the employees are going to use all of their energy and skills to improve production and adopt a positive attitude that is of great help for any workspace.

Create a Room for Relaxation

These days more and more companies are starting to think about their employees and are providing them with a room where they can meditate, relax and put their thoughts in order. Having a room for relaxation should be a compulsory aspect for every company. Humans need to take breaks and relax as many times as they need in order to be able to give 100%. It has been proven that the human brain can be a lot more productive after even after a short break between two tasks.

The human brain needs a break so that it can recharge after performing different tiring operations. The room for relaxation doesn’t necessarily have to be a fancy one. Even a very simple space that is decorated accordingly can be a great help that will bring a lot of advantages over time. Once you find out what are the needs of your employees, it is quite easy to create that certain space. You could add a nice corner sofa and some beanbags, a table where they are going to have lunch together and why not a few plants or a small garden space that brings peace and fresh air to the “zen space”.

Communication is Key

Even though many people might not be aware of it, communication is a very important aspect that makes people who they are. People need to communicate in order to survive. So why would they stop communicating at work? These days more and more individuals suffer from physical or emotional stress because of the lack of communication and disorganization at work. A disorganized office usually leads to wasting time of finding important papers, missing deadlines, decreasing the level of productivity and even slowing down the mental energy. In order to be able to create a stress-free work environment employers are advised to encourage their employees to express their ideas and opinions as often as they feel that they could be beneficial for the office atmosphere and not only. Moreover, an employer who is able to communicate well with the team will most likely eliminate misunderstandings, creating a healthy work environment. Efficient communication with the employees is the main aspect that leads to getting the work done quickly, in a much professional manner.

Make the most of the Online World

Every employer aims to create a workplace where the team is able to innovate and come up with the best ideas to increase the productivity. In order to do so, it is important to make the most of every resource that is close to us. These days one can find so many useful applications and websites in the online world. One can find apps that are meant to create a peaceful environment at work, one can find posters that they can print out and frame in order to create a very relaxed and positive atmosphere and last but not least, one has tools that help them facilitate their day to day work. Meteor Forms is essentially a technology that helps its clients build customized forms. This company fills out your forms while you relax and enjoy high security of your data.

Employees need to work in a relaxing environment to be more innovative and maximize their productivity. A Custom Poster Printing initiative can help you to create a positive work environment for your employees. You can opt to print out motivational quotes, postcards, save the date magnets, or hang tags to help maintain an orderly workplace based on your employees’ preferences. Customization ensures that the information printed aligns with the organizational culture and meets the specific objectives that your employees are meant to achieve. It will also ensure that the posters are personalized to reach your employees. Consider having professional and eye-catching posters to gain your employees’ attention. These posters will remind the employees what they need to do, enhancing order and peace at the workplace.

Keep Active

Doctors and experts inform us that in order to live a healthy life both mentally and physically, it is important to keep active each day. They advise us to walk at least 10,000 steps a day, which is not always possible when working in a sedentary office job. However, there are a few tips and tricks that every team can do so that they eliminate the sedentary way of life, enjoy a nice activity together and create a less stressful work environment.

A simple but very effective way of keeping active at work is by taking the stairs as opposed to the elevator. Stretching is also a good way of relieving the tension in the muscles and preventing eventual back problems that might appear over time. Even though most of the time corporate jobs imply the idea of wearing formal attire, employees can always opt for a comfortable option that will allow them to move freely all day long. Another great activity that every team of office workers could do would be taking a walk in the park while on lunch break. This kind of activity prevents a sedentary lifestyle, adds to the daily amount of walking steps, burns calories and helps build a more relaxed work atmosphere.

Learn to Be Tolerant

Everyone needs to remember that every individual is different and they might have personal issues that don’t allow them to be the best version of themselves. A lack of tolerance gets in the way of making personal connections with people around us. Moreover, it can also create unprofessional behavior and misunderstandings. In a workplace, just like in our day to day life, people should be treated with respect. Building tolerance and learning to accept different cultures are great aspects that help eliminate pressures or stress in the work ambience.

Relieve the Workload

Some smaller companies often require one person to do many jobs. This can give them valuable experience for their later career, but other problems could arise. Maybe they aren’t fairly compensated for the extra effort they put in; perhaps they feel overwhelmed with too much work and their primary duties are suffering as a result.

Managers must recognize the signs of stress, anxiety, and burnout from employees who are doing too much. Rather than immediately scold an employee for not hitting their targets, think about why this is happening. If possible, look at outsourcing roles for IT Support and finances to take the load off some employees. You’ll soon see a stressful cloud lifted, and they will be back to their best.

Strategize Your Work Environment And Ensure That It’s Working For You

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Interior Design And Layout

If your organization has a dark, dull, and gloomy appearance; it will affect the atmosphere and the mood and motivation of your team. Therefore, you’ll need to put together a plan of action regarding your offices or workspace, and how you’re going to design and decorate them. Natural light is the best way to boost moods and will impact the momentum and productivity of your staff; so let as much window light into the space as possible. You can learn more about the psychology of light and how it affects productivity here and gain some inspiration.Take down tired looking vertical and roller blinds and step out of the 80s and 90s to expose the light and any sun that may creep through. Your staff will appreciate the lift in the mood and feel of the office environment which will push them to work harder.

Keep paint colors as fresh and light as possible; it will help to enhance the natural light you’ve encouraged into the space and help to keep busy brains focused and clear-thinking. Don’t over clutter an environment with too much on the walls; motivational artwork, quotes, and targets are a great idea. However, an overly-crowded wall space will affect the clarity and thought processes of workers.

The layout of the desks, chairs, equipment, and other office furniture should allow the room to feel open and filled with air. Cramped and claustrophobic office environments, from furniture that’s too close together, will only stunt the abilities of your organization and your staff’s willingness to work hard. If a person wants to leave their desk the whole day due to feeling uncomfortable and squashed; their focus will not be on the task at hand, which will slow down your productivity and any results that you need. You don’t need to create a totally open-plan environment for your team; but bear in mind the size of surfaces, people’s storage solutions, and gauge the mood of the space before making any changes.

Exterior Maintenance And Refurbs

Alongside the interior space where your team keep your organization in full swing; your exterior will have a major role to play in the comfort, happiness, and productivity of anyone that walks through your doors. If buildings are left shabby, damaged, and unkempt, they can begin to cause damage to the inside of the property. Ensuring that your building is weatherproof will help to protect it from the element and any damage in the long run. Therefore, it’s worth seeking the help of commercial builders and industrial roofing contractors who will make sure the property is watertight and windproof; preventing damp, structural damage, and interior mold from affecting the smooth running of your business.

Maintaining the outside of the building will also help to improve its aesthetic appeal as people enter and leave the space. First impressions are crucial in the successful running of an organization, so make sure that as any potential clients enter your doors, they see quality and begin to grow confident in your business. Your team will also get a boost if they’re walking into a space they feel proud of; your organization needs to show that it cares about the details, so a tired looking exterior will never be good for business.

Make sure that you hire a commercial service to clean your windows regularly so that the light can continue to penetrate the inside space and the outside of your building will feel clean and tidy. Little touches, like your branding on new signage and hardy plants at the entrance, will also make a difference to the appeal of the building’s exterior. Make your company’s building a space that’s inviting and people will want to enter; invest in professional services where needed and carry out regular checks on the appearance so that you can fix what’s been changed as soon as possible.

Accessibility And Utilization

You will want your staff, customers, and clients to be able to reach the entrance of your building with ease so that nobody feels frustrated before the working day has even begun. Therefore, you’ll need to ensure that all of your paving, parking, and pathways remain tidy, clean, and safe. Make sure that outside surfaces are as flat and smooth as possible, and replace any wobbly slabs, stone, or brickwork. It will affect the aesthetics of your building as mentioned before, and will also ensure that everyone walks through your doors content and they won’t feel disheveled. You don’t want to risk a lawsuit either; you’ll be the one liable for accidents caused by potholes, broken walls and pathways, and badly maintained pathways, so invest wisely before you end up paying out.

Facilities, like bins and any parking meters and dividers, not only need to be provided but also need to be kept an eye on. If your exterior bins are overflowing, it can cause a health hazard and will upset visitors to your organization, so make sure they are emptied regularly. If you do have onsite parking with a meter; ensure that it works properly, so as not to frustrate and add stress to anybody’s day. If there are any problems; call the relevant help immediately and deal with the issue. Make sure that the maintenance and safety of the access and parking areas of your building are a priority; once these are up to a high standard, you can begin to think about the decorative aspects of the exterior space.