If you own your own business you know how difficult it can be. There’s a lot to keep on top of in order to ensure it runs smoothly, but no responsibility is more important than that of keeping your employees safe whilst they are at work. Not all workplace accidents are preventable, but it is up to you as the boss to ensure that the environment your employees are working in is safe and as accident free as possible – not just morally, but legally too.

There are a number of things you can do to protect your workers. You can make sure to take steps to ensure the work space is free of dangers or obstacles to evacuation; you can make sure your staff as properly trained in emergency protocol and fully equipped with relevant safety gear; and you can ensure that the means are in place to treat any injuries should the worst happen during the working day.

There are certain things that you are required to do in your workplace by law, and others which are extremely good ideas if you want to go the extra mile in guaranteeing the safety of the people powering your business! Here is a list of three simple things you should do to keep your employees. There are, of course, many more regulations in place and many more tips that can be given, but this is a run down of the top three.

1. Know The Law

Whilst the vast number of the regulations covering health and safety at work can be confusing and can boggle the mind, it is absolutely vital that you know them, or at least have a resource that can remind you – and there are loads of them. But they are all there for a reason. Your workers are too important to be put at risk due to a lack of interest in the law. All workers are entitled to equal protection at work, and that is enforced through the law. As a boss, it is your job to make sure you are giving your employees that.

2. First Aider

Most workplaces must, by law, have a first aider. This would be someone who has been trained in, and has a relevant qualification to practice, first aid (the early help provided to a person after an accident). This person must know exactly what the plan is in the case of an emergency and can deliver potentially life saving treatment whilst waiting for an ambulance. Having a first aider can be the difference between life and death.

3. First Aid Kit

Further to the last point, to ensure your first aider has everything they need to deliver emergency care you will need a first aid kit. There is little point having a first aider without having one of these. There is no legally mandated contents but to cover most eventualities it should include plasters, bandages, and slings. Bigger workplaces could also obtain some bulkier kit like a defibrillator for potentially fatal medical emergencies.