Importance of Fire and Safety Training

If you are an employer then it is your obligation to take adequate steps to ensure the safety of your employees. Whilst it is true that some jobs such as mining or construction are generally far more hazardous than working in an office or a shop, all jobs carry some risks with them. The reliable Icon Institute ensure that employers are fulfilling their obligations in terms of preventing work-related injuries and death, from fire safety training to ensuring all equipment is well maintained. 

Keep Records: Whenever an accident occurs at work, however trivial, it needs to be noted down, including what happened, why and what actions were taken. Taking careful note of each incident means that any particularly dangerous areas can be identified and steps can be taken to deal with the problem.

Check Equipment Regularly: Any equipment used in the workplace - whether it is tools, computers, catering equipment or lighting - needs to be safety tested regularly to ensure it complies with all relevant regulations. Any broken or badly functioning equipment should be reported immediately, and records should be kept of any repairs carried out.

Provide Training: In every workplace there will be certain aspects for which appropriate training is required and it is your job to ensure you hire a fully certified company to carry out this training. For example, every business will need to have carried out fire safety training and appointed fire safety officers. More specifically, if for example your business activities require your workers to operate heavy machinery, they need to be formally trained for this. Make sure you are aware of all the areas in which training is required for your particular sector.

Provide Protective Equipment: There are also of course certain jobs for which protective equipment is required, and it is up to you as an employer to do this. If your employees work with chemicals they will need protective equipment such as safety glasses, gloves or lab coats. As another example, if your workers are continuously exposed to loud noise levels you will need to provide them with ear protection to avoid damage to their hearing.

Ventilation: It is essential that your employees have access to proper ventilation, particularly if they work with certain chemicals which emit potentially harmful fumes, or if they work in a very confined space for long periods.

Employee Health: If any of your employees come to work with infectious diseases or viruses then you are obliged to send them home again to prevent the spread of illness to their co-workers. With certain illnesses, you need to check with the appropriate authorities as to whether any further action needs to be taken. 

As a final point:  Not all employers do this, but workers suffering from a build-up of stress which goes unchecked can sometimes lead to violent conflict in the workplace.

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