Christmas Safety in the workplace – Keeping your company off the naughty list
We don’t want to sound like Ebenezer Scrooge, but the workplace can be surprisingly hazardous over Christmas. As sales rise and the Christmas break draws near, work speed picks up, and moods deteriorate. Employees may start to think about warm sherry, mince pies, and the Doctor Who Christmas special instead of COSHH inspection training.
The festive season is almost here, and you will undoubtedly have a packed social calendar with end-of-year gatherings in the run-up to the Christmas holidays. The pressure of finishing off projects at work can cause you stress. Proper planning is vital when nailing Christmas safety, especially regarding changes in workload and deadlines. You can effectively allocate time and leave a buffer for when things don’t go according to plan by scheduling the upcoming few weeks with Christmas safety in mind. A festive schedule means you’ll be able to see what has to be done and by when, and you’ll be aware of any areas where you might be overextending yourself or your team.
Christmas would not be the same without decorations. But while all that tinsel may look beautiful, it’s crucial to check that all decorations are secure and not a hidden hazard. Every company must conduct regular risk assessments. During the holiday season, when your workplace may be decorated with dancing Santas, fairy lights, and various other decorations, it’s especially important to ensure those risk assessments are up to date.
Be-Safe’s Compliance Genie makes the process easy by helping you navigate the Display Screen Equipment workplace checklist and ensure compliance with the Regulations’ Schedule. With checkboxes for “yes” or “no,” it identifies six risk variables, including keyboards, mice, and trackballs, screens, software, furniture, and work environment. It provides an area to note planned action as well.
Still, there’s more to Christmas safety than updating your risk assessments; sometimes the most significant dangers are the least obvious. The holidays can be a relatively tipsy time of year. When you break for a pre-Christmas get-together, all that mulled wine might sound like a fantastic idea, but come 7:30 am the following day, you might wish the bus to work would catch fire.
If you’re young and sit at a desk all day, it might seem funny to be hungover at work, but intoxication can make any physical labour challenging at best and deadly at worst. Don’t let it escape your grasp. Keep your behaviour in check and be diligent for signs within the workplace. Send a worker home if they appear to be noticeably hungover. If they choose to drive to work, which is dangerous and might be against the law, make sure they can find an alternative way home.
By using Be-Safe’s Compliance Genie to update and circulate your risk assessments and applying a little festive common sense, you can see to all your Christmas safety needs and still have a jolly, happy holiday.