What Are 3 Employee Responsibilities In A Safe Workplace?

In the UK, a large percentage of the responsibility for building a safe workplace lies in the responsibility of the employer. You need to ensure that the working environment you provide has the tools and measures in place to prioritise wellbeing and care for everyone who enters. However, there are limitations to what an employer can do and a degree of responsibility must fall on the employee too. Everyone working under one roof must take action to reduce the risk of accidents and injury. Let’s take a look at 3 employee responsibilities that help to build a safe workplace here.

1. Take Reasonable Care Of Their Own Health And Safety

No matter how many measures a business puts into place, accidents will happen if the employees don’t actively try to keep themselves out of harm’s way. For example, if an employee is asked to complete a task that they have not been trained on or do not feel comfortable completing, they should ask for assistance. Undertaking activities that present a real risk to their health and wellbeing isn’t beneficial to anybody.

2. Take Reasonable Care Of Employees, Visitors, Guests And Members Of The Public

While carrying out tasks in and around the workplace, employees must make a keen effort to reduce the risk of injury to others. This means working in a safe manner and keeping with their training. If a task is deemed unsuitable for completion around a certain body of people (for example, moving heavy loads when visitors/customers/guests are using a walkway), it should be halted and rescheduled for a safer time.

3. Report Safety Concerns

While a risk assessment is a widely accepted method of identifying hazards, it is hard to identify every risk without the support of the employees. These individuals are in the working environment, day-in-day-out. They become privy to potential risks that may not be overly evident at all times. For this reason, it is vital that employees have a method and feel comfortable enough to report safety concerns to higher management. They must also ensure that any injuries, illnesses and work-related injuries are reported so that preventative measures can be put in place.

Workplace safety should always be a keen focus for both the employee and employer. With the right tools, including safety signs, you can actively reduce the risk of injury and create a more secure corporate setting for everyone. Here at Lasting Impressions, we have the experience and means to help you create a safe place to work every single day. For more information or advice, please do get in contact with us here today.