Five ways to ensure your HR department is doing everything it can to keep your employees safe

All employees are entitled to work within environments where risks to their health and safety are dealt with properly and controlled in a correct manner. One of the main aspects of maintaining a productive workplace is making sure that the correct procedures are there to protect employees. There are several different working industries where employers are exposed to hazards and possible unsafe environments. So, we have put together five ways to ensure that your HR department is doing everything that they can to keep their employees safe.


Health and safety training

This is an obvious one, but still needs to be discussed as it is so important. All employees must undergo safety training programmes that include things such as emergency action plans, how handle equipment safely, as well as fire safety and a myriad of other subjects. With safety precautions in place, your company will have identified potential risks and will be taking steps to ensure employees are safe. You may need to use HR software to keep up to to date with who has had training (and who still requires it), and sometimes, e-Learning is a good way to teach core elements of safety in the workplace.



Every company should have a security policy in place to keep their employees and equipment safe. Having the correct safety measures in place can help prevent people entering the building without permission, which in turn allows people to feel safe and secure in their working environment. Security is something that should always invested in, and there should be time and resources set aside to carry out security checks. Measures such as installing CCTV, a security system with alarms, sufficient lighting and confidential computer and personal information will all help towards this.


Implement a safety policy

For workers who are not designated to work within certain areas within the workplace (such as at a height, or around particular pieces of machinery), they should be discouraged from entering zones that are out of bounds. Unsafe environments should be labelled with warnings signs, and prohibited areas should be communicated to the wider workforce. For an office that has less physical risks, all potential hazards should be identified as early as possible such as broken glass, leaks or spills.



A key component of any workplace is communication and trust. No employee should ever feel fear for expressing concerns for and safety goals within a company, nor feel reluctant to ask questions relating to health and safety – even if the answer ‘ought’ to be obvious. Someone in HR should have one on one meetings with employees to let them express their concerns. And while some people may not want to speak to direct managers, 1-2-1 meetings are often a great way to make people feel more at ease than requiring them to speak up in a large group.


Coordinate with Facility Management

Similar to HR, facility departments play an important role in carrying out safety policies. HR and facilities managers help protect employees together. HR specialists should be constantly aware of the work environment and risks that could be encountered under certain circumstances. Facility managers should invest in products that are designed to prevent accidents such as slips and falls, in addition to also promoting hygiene. These are all very simple but effective safety products and precautions.


The best way for you to execute strategies such as these it will require commitment and goals. With safety standards set in place, a business can avoid problems and it will create a positive environment and job satisfaction.

Author: Eddy
