Safety of Workers-Responsibility of the Employers
Mr. Alex Botha, the Head of the British Safety Council has recently announced several precautions to be taken by business owners to ensure the safety of the workers. This is in the context of the recent incidents of violence that took place in Britain. In such circumstances, according to Mr. Botha, the following steps should be taken:
The employer must communicate calmly and clearly with the workers. They must not alarm the workers or create panic.
The employer should conduct a discussion with the workers to work out what should be done if the business is attacked.
The shift workers and the workers who work alone should be made aware of the special precautions they must take such as clearing the shop premises of rubble, equipment and machinery.
All workers must be made aware of evacuation procedures.
According to Mr. Botha, these steps will help the business to regain at least a little ground easily. It will guide the recovery efforts in the right direction.
During the riots homes, warehouses, police stations and shops were attacked. Some of these were even set on fire. Mr. Botha says that it is a wonder the workers escaped unscathed through the recent riots. The workers are the most vulnerable in such situations. Lone workers, night workers and shift workers run an even greater degree of risk of being attacked.
Taking this into account the British Safety Council has advocated the immediate adoption of safety measures for the workers by all businesses. They have expressed the opinion that employers must pay greater attention to the responsibility they have towards the ensuring the safety of the workers.
Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions with effective policies around health and safety decisions. NEBOSH courses are designed for managers, supervisors, and employee representatives who need to ensure that their organisation meets its responsibilities under health and safety legislation. It is of benefit to organisations in enabling them to contribute to the conduct and review of safety risk assessments and fire preventive and protective measures within most workplaces.