WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 2021
Today, Wednesday 28th April marks World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The day is in aid of promoting the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally.
The World Day originally came around in 2003 by the by the International Labour Organization (ILO). It is an awareness-raising campaign that intends to focus international attention on the extent of the problem and how promoting and creating a safe and healthy work culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.
The article below will provide you with Tips for General Safety and Health at the workplace as well as the impact that COVID-19 has had on peoples working environments including their safety and health. We have also provided a brief overview on the HSE’s guidance on keeping your workplace COVID secure including a link to take you directly to their ‘Working Safely’ webpage.
The information below has been taken from the ‘International Labour Organisation’ & the ‘HSE’ website.
Tips for General Safety and Health at the workplace:
- Be Alert and Aware: Always be aware of your surroundings and be alert.
- Keep your workplace clean: Make sure that the area around you is neat and tidy.
- Maintain correct posture: Make sure that you sit while using the correct posture to avoid backache and other such problems.
- Use mats on slippery floors: Mats can be used in the workplace too for areas that are particularly slippery.
- Take your breaks: Your health is the most vital thing, so it is important that breaks are taken regularly to avoid frustration and to avoid being overworked.
- Provide first aid training: An office should always have a first aid kit and you should have trained first aiders which will know how to use certain medicines and supplies in case of an emergency.
World Day for Safety and Health – The Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has led everyone to face unprecedented challenges because of this new virus, it has had many effects on the world of work and people lives. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work will this year focus on strategies to strengthen national occupational safety and health systems to build resilience, to face crises now and in the future, drawing on lessons learned and experiences from the world of work.
Since the COVID-19 global crisis, which came about in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had overwhelming impacts everywhere. The pandemic has touched nearly every aspect of the world of work, from the risk of transmission of the virus in workplaces, to occupational safety and health risks that have emerged because of measures to reduce the spread of the virus. All workplaces have had to adapt to new forms of working arrangements, such as homeworking for example. This has presented many opportunities for workers but also posed potential occupational safety and health risks, including a negative impact to people’s mental health.
HSE Guidance – Keeping your Workplace COVID Secure
It is important to keep your workplace COVID-secure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The HSE have published guidance for employers, but workers and the self-employed may also find it useful.
It gives an overview of the things you should do to help make your work and workplace COVID-secure.
Their brief guide for workers will help them take steps to prevent COVID-19 spreading in their workplace, these include things such as:
- Risk assessment
- Social distancing
- Cleaning, hygiene, and handwashing
- Ventilation and air conditioning
- Talk to workers and provide information
- Working from home
- Vulnerable workers
For more information on this guidance from the HSE please click here, this will take your directly to their ‘working safely’ webpage.
Bernard Sims Associates have developed several comprehensive Returning to Work Safely packages to ensure you have all you need during these challenging times. We look at a series of best-practice measures covering safety, hygiene, maintenance, and regulatory inspections, amongst others.
For more information on our Returning to Work Safely packages please click here. This will take you directly to our returning to work safely webpage.
For further information or advice on the above services or any of our other services please visit:
Our Website: www.bernardsimsassociates.co.uk
Email: bsims@bsims.co.uk
or
Call: 01483 467270
Stay Safe & Well,
Bernard Sims Associates