You Have Safety Responsibilities, Too!

It won’t take you long to find out everything an employer needs to consider when it comes to safety and health in the workplace. There are millions of articles and guidelines out there for all to see. But because there is so much information on that particular subject, it leaves employees a little expectant on their employer’s responsibilities, rather than their own. The truth is that as a company worker, you have an obligation to safety, too. In today’s guide, I’m going to go through a few ways that you can step up and be accountable, both positively and proactively. Let’s take a look.

Get involved

Sadly, many employees don’t pay a blind bit of notice to safety and health rules. They might see something that isn’t working properly, and they’ll just ignore it – leaving many others at risk. So, if you do see something unsafe, make sure you do something about it. Stop working immediately, report it to your line manager or boss, and make sure you don’t wait until disaster strikes.

Follow the rules

Your employer has a responsibility to provide a health and safety program. You must support it. If you have an accident at work that isn’t covered in those rules, then sure – you can contact a personal injury lawyer and make a claim. However, if you don’t follow the guidelines, you’ll be left to suffer the consequences. You might even lose your job – so make sure you are always working within the rules.

Clean your workspace

Your employer has a responsibility to provide you with a healthy and safe working environment, but they aren’t responsible for your untidy desk. Keep things clean, tidy, and ensure all wires and equipment are well out of reach. You should also make sure you keep gangways and corridors clear, as per your employer’s guidelines. You might end up being sued yourself if you are responsible for someone else’s accident.

Take part in the safety training

We all know the incredible boredom that being in a safety meeting can cause. Nonetheless, it’s a necessary part of everyone’s working life, and it’s essential that you actually listen and take part. Who knows, perhaps the information you are told will lead to you saving a life, or preventing someone from being horrendously injured? Not many people take these safety meetings seriously, but if everyone did, there is no doubt workplace accidents would fall in volume.

Know your job

Finally, no one in your company should know how to do your job better than you. And if you know something is unsafe, or you use equipment that you haven’t been trained on, there’s a good chance it will end in tears – or worse. Speak up if you have concerns, and offer suggestions on how to make things safer. Not only will you be fulfilling your employee responsibilities, but you’ll also be preventing danger to others.

Don’t assume that your employer is the only person responsible for your safety – you are, too. And failure to hold up your end of the bargain could result in a nasty surprise.