By Simonetta Solas
Working in an industrial business in Scotland or beyond can increase a person’s risk of a serious injury, such as chemical exposure, a fall from height, fire, explosion, respiratory issues, hearing loss, or a musculoskeletal disorder, to name a few hazards.
For this reason, companies must take steps to protect employees and visitors from potential dangers on-site and adhere to various legal requirements. Continue reading to learn how Scottish industrial businesses can improve health and safety compliance.
Introduce the Appropriate Safety Solutions
Industrial businesses, from manufacturing companies to petrochemical organisations, must introduce the appropriate safety solutions to protect all employees and visitors. For instance, any business that stores hazardous or flammable substances should invest in high-quality COSHH storage cabinets to restrict access and segregate chemicals from each other. Take the time to find safety essentials to match your business’s specific needs, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), custom safety signs, chemical containers, chemical spill kits, gas cylinder kits, and more.
Improve Understanding of Scottish Laws
Some Scottish companies struggle to comply with various legislations, leading to serious or fatal accidents at work, large fines, a damaged reputation, and legal consequences. Businesses cannot afford to ignore health and safety regulations and must set time aside to learn more about their company’s legal requirements in Scotland.
If you are unsure where to get started, it is wise to familiarise yourself with:
- The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations Act (2022)
- Construction (Design and Management) regulations
- Control of Major Accidents Hazards (COMAH) regulations
Also, you must know the ins and outs of fire safety, employment law, and environmental regulations to avoid life-altering injuries and legal repercussions. Be aware that individuals, and not industrial businesses, are required to comply with the above health and safety regulations and legislations.
Digitise Standard Operating Procedures
Every industrial company must implement standard operating procedures to adhere to various health and safety laws in Scotland. Unfortunately, many businesses are guilty of relying on their employees’ informal knowledge and experience, which may result in safety gaps across an organisation.
Improve compliance by digitising standard operating procedures, as it will enable team members to search and find an in-house procedure via a reliable mobile app or database, ensuring they follow protocols correctly daily.
Of course, it is management’s responsibility to routinely review standard operating procedures to ensure they align with new health and safety laws. By doing so, they can strengthen on-site safety while improving compliance.
Invest in Comprehensive Staff Training
Even if your business has introduced strict standard operating procedures for your employees to adhere to each day, accidents might be inevitable if your team hasn’t received the appropriate training. Stop injuries from occurring by investing in comprehensive training and qualifications for your team. For example, swap outdated paper exams for modern tests to improve engagement and competency at work.
Monitor Operational Risks Daily
Business changes can cause new health and safety hazards that could pose a serious risk to employees and visitors’ health. For this reason, industrial companies must monitor risks daily to keep staff safe and secure each day.
For example, innovative IoT sensors could pinpoint subtle changes in equipment pressure levels, temperature fluctuations, and leaks. Also, a chemical management app will allow employees to input and review chemical inventory levels to safely store hazardous substances on-site.
Your business has a legal duty to identify potential risks and introduce the appropriate solutions to keep employees and visitors safe around the clock. To do so, consider investing in various technologies to protect your hardworking staff, customers, and clients from various dangers in the workplace.
