When you are the owner or manager of a business, it is your responsibility not just to make sure you are meeting your quotas and keeping customers or clients happy, but also to keep your employees safe. With these easy safety tips, the workplace will be a place for employees to get their work done without worrying about accidents or hazardous situations.

Develop an Evacuation Plan

There are a lot of emergencies that can happen in your building that require employees to get out safely. If you don't have an evacuation plan in place, the emergency might create chaos and make it difficult for everyone to get out safely. It can also be difficult tracking down all employees and making sure nobody is still in the building, such as in the case of a fire or a major flood. When there is an emergency, employees should know where to go and who to report to. Create a plan that gives clear instructions on how to handle different types of emergencies, where to meet in the building, and how to get out of the building without incident. Have practice drills to be sure all employees understand how to follow directions.

Maintain a Clean Workplace

Keeping the workplace and all individual work areas clean is essential to keeping the building safe. When there is a lot of clutter, it increases the risk for accidents, and can even become a fire hazard. Make sure that all areas of the building are kept clean, from the kitchen and bathrooms, to employee offices and the warehouse. Employees should be on the lookout for spills and clean them up right away, regardless of what spilled. Even a small amount of water can cause an unaware employee to slip and fall, injuring themselves.

Keep the Machinery in Good Working Condition

If you use machinery in your business, it needs to be inspected and repaired regularly. Never let an employee use a piece of machinery or equipment that might be faulty. This is putting them and possibly others in the area at risk. Develop a schedule for inspecting the equipment or machinery in your business by the employees and professionals. Have employees let you know when repairs need to be done and let them use a different piece of equipment until repairs are completed.

Have a Fire Watch When Necessary

There are certain situations where you might be at a higher risk for fire. For example, if you have some welding to do, it creates sparks, which can create a fire risk. You might have had issues in your building where the fire alarms keep going off, and until repairs are done, you need someone on fire watch. This can either be a trained employee or a fire watch security guard you have hired. Fire watch companies have well-trained individuals that look for signs of an impending fire or other hazards and know the right steps to reporting it and calling for emergency assistance. Contact a business, such as NYC Fire Services & Guards, LLC for more information.