The average individual spends upwards of 40 hours every week at work, which is a huge percentage of their waking life. Having to attend an unhealthy workplace that’s riddled with risks and dangers is not something that any employee should have to go through, and the responsibility is on business owners and managers to establish the safest place to operate for every member of staff. Fortunately, learning how to create a healthy, comfortable workplace that promotes well-being doesn’t have to be difficult, as there are just a few simple steps that you can follow to make sure your staff are safe and sound during each and every shift. So, if you’d like to find out more, then read on.
Fresh air
First off, a healthy workplace needs fresh air. Having no windows or doors in your office, factory floor or store will reduce the quality of the air, making it stale and potentially even dangerous if you’re using heavy machinery. Contacting a team of air quality consultants to visit your workplace and assess your air quality will show you just how bad it can get without fresh, clean air, so there’s no time like the present to start making a few key changes. Installing air conditioning and filter units is key, as your team needs to be able to breathe easy without inhaling chemicals or other potentially damaging substances.
Natural light
Filling your workplace with artificial light in the form of harmful LEDs is going to lead to a number of issues, including eye strain, headaches, migraines and even sight issues long term. Opting to utilise natural light instead is a far healthier choice, as it’s much more gentle on the eyes and will not cause the same painful symptoms as overexposure to LEDs can. Skylights are the best choice to explore to benefit from the most natural light.
Fresh drinking water
Far too many people leave work each day feeling dehydrated, simply because they cannot access fresh drinking water on shift. You cannot expect your staff to fill up their cups or bottles from an unsanitary sink, as they need filtered, clean drinking water to keep them alert and active. Being dehydrated can make you lose focus, feel lethargic and generally perform at your lowest capacity, so it’s not good for productivity whatsoever. Setting up water tank stations with cool refreshing water that they can drink any time is sure to keep them fighting fit.
PPE
If you run a business that’s particularly dangerous or risky such as a factory, production line, building site or similar project, then you must provide your staff with PPE to keep them safe and sound throughout every shift. PPE (or personal protective equipment) can include a whole host of items from hardhat helmets that protect your head from falling objects to high visibility jackets and ear defenders. The PPE that you purchase should relate to the specific risks that your staff face inside your workplace, so perform a risk assessment and match up your protective equipment to each department and their associated dangers.