Why safety equipment is important for your business

Why safety equipment is important for your businessAuthor: Phil Adams-WrightAll businesses and places of work have a duty to provide a safe working environment for all their workers.  Whether it is an office, warehouse or industrial environment each one has health and safety issues that can cause accidents or problems in the workplace.  As well as conforming to Health and Safety laws your company will likely need a selection of safety equipment depending on what kind of workplace you have.First Aid kitsFirst Aid kits of some sort are required at all places of work as accidents can happen in almost any working environment.  First aid kits come in a wide variety of different types, for small offices a fairly basic first aid kit of plasters, antiseptic wipes and bandages.  More industrial working environments may involve working with harmful chemicals and so there are extra safety equipment that are important to have to hand.  Items such as eye wash stations sterilised water and in some extreme cases a shower station, especially in chemical plants.Line markingIn industrial workplaces heavy machinery can be dangerous and people should not stand too close to any moving parts.  Quite often here will be an operating area where the worker will stand or sit to operate the machinery; everywhere else should be off limits.  A way to make this clear is having markings on the floor either clearly showing where you are allowed to stand or places that need to be vacated when the machinery is in operation.Protective clothing and headwearIn industrial working environments it is often required that you wear a hard hat and high visibility clothing at all times when on the factory floor.  This is so you are easily seen and protected from any falling objects.  Workers who are prone to getting dirty or working with chemicals may need to wear overalls or jumpsuits to both protect their clothes and their arms and legs.  A lot of industrial processes can give off harmful dust or fumes and so a breathing mask and goggles are other pieces of safety clothing that may be needed.Fire prevention equipmentAny work place can cause a fire, whether it’s an office, shop or factory.  It’s important to assess the different types of potential fire and get the relevant fire extinguisher for that fire (i.e.

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