All businesses, big or small, need to incorporate safety in their workplaces. It is the responsibility and duty of employers to keep their employees safe, and to do so, there are a number of items which every workplace must have.
We have rounded up our collection of 5 essential safety items that every workplace needs in order to be prepared for an accident or emergency.
First Aid Kits
First Aid Kits are essential for any workplace, allowing for quick treatment of minor injuries and can stop a situation changing from bad to worse. Some basic items that should be put in a first aid kit include: plasters (different sizes), bandages, gloves, scissors, painkillers, sterile dressings, an aluminium blanket and micropore tape.
Every workplace should also consider stocking a high quality Burn Care Kit, designed to specifically treat major or minor burns. This should include: nitrile gloves, burn dressings, conforming bandages, micropore tape and universal shears.
Defibrillators
With every minute crucial to saving a life, a defibrillator is a vital item that every workplace needs. NHS data shows that each year 30,000 people in the UK have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital and just 18.5% of those people survive. However, if defibrillation is given within the first four minutes of the victim collapsing, almost half of casualties are successfully resurrected.
The British Heart Foundation and the IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) recommend that defibrillators should be made available in the workplace, in order to save lives.
Morsafe Supplies stock a wide range of defibrillators and related products for the workplace.
PPE
It goes without saying that the need for PPE has increased dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The legal requirement to wear a face covering no longer applies. However, the UK government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet. Customers, visitors or staff may choose to wear face coverings in any setting.
PPE equipment is widely available and can be purchased in large quantities at an affordable price.
Sanitisers And Disinfectants
All employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers and others from coronavirus and any other harmful virus that can thrive in these environments. Hand sanitisers and surface disinfectants are biocidal products that are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and are vital for keeping a workplace clean and safe.
Road And Path Safety Products
Employers must also ensure all roads and paths within a workplace are safe and slip-free. In the case of snow and ice, winter safety products such as salt spreaders and shovels should be used when necessary to ensure risks in car parks, footpaths, steps and all main entrances/exits to the building are all minimised.
