As a business owner, you should take health & safety as seriously as you take everything else. Running a company is all about making a profit, but this isn’t possible if your H&S isn’t in order.

Poor health & safety practices can lead to sanctions that result in massive financial penalties. Similarly, you could end up with multiple lawsuits on your hands as clients, customers, or employees fall ill/get injured on your premises. With that in mind, what are the biggest health & safety concerns for your small business?

COVID

We have to include this as it is still relevant right now – and will be for the foreseeable future. While nobody can sue you for getting COVID at your business, you should still have safety measures in place to prevent the spread. This can include hand sanitizing stations, frequent tests for employees, and so on.

Asbestos

Older buildings were built with asbestos as it had flame retardant properties. Years down the line, we realize that this substance also caused major health complications, such as cancer. Consequently, every business owner should conduct thorough asbestos tests to ensure their premises are safe. If any is detected, you need to get it removed before you let people come into work or visit your site.

Mold

Yes, mold spores are a big health & safety concern and could potentially lead to lawsuits. The problem with mold is that it can cause respiratory problems that might put people out of work. Indeed, if someone suffers from asthma, mold can trigger an attack that hospitalizes them. You need to ensure there’s no mold in your office/store/restaurant, which might include some commercial duct cleaning as this is where it likes to form. When you have a mold-free business, there will be fewer health concerns.

Manual Handling

Employees injure themselves all the time because of poor manual handling techniques. You must train your employees to lift things correctly, protecting their backs from being damaged. Similarly, include signs around the place to remind them of this, and consider implementing equipment that removes the need for manual handling.

Slips & Falls

Finally, slipping and falling over is a common occurrence if your business doesn’t take health & safety seriously. This tends to happen when the floor is wet – or if there are hazards lying around to trip people over. Part of your job should be to assess the health & safety hazards in your building, restricting the chances of people slipping or tripping. For example, you need wet floor signage to alert people to slippery surfaces. You could also use cable management systems to prevent loose cables that can trip people up.

Generally speaking, these are the major health & safety concerns in your business. What’s more, you have complete and utter control over them! With the right health & safety plan, you can limit the chances of anyone getting injured or suffering from health problems as a direct result of being on your premises. From here, there’s less chance of your business being sued as you have clearly made efforts to keep people safe.