Do your employees often work in the dark? Then it’s essential to prioritise their health and safety.
Not only will this protect your staff from risks and hazards, but also ensure business operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Here, we explore several ways you can increase employee safety in a dark workplace.
Provide the right equipment
Firstly, it’s important to give your staff the right tools for the task at hand.
For example, if they do manual labour in dark spaces, you could provide high-quality torches from a company like RS Components to increase visibility.
Your team may also require personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, goggles, hard hats, earmuffs, earplugs and boots. High-vis jackets, trousers and other workwear may also be needed.
You should carry out a thorough risk assessment to understand exactly what equipment is required for your staff to work safely.
Install adequate lighting
Consider the type of lighting that will best suit the site and conditions you’re working in.
The Health and Safety Executive says that “different activities require different levels of light. In general, the more detailed the task, the greater the light requirement”.
So, do you need floodlights for an outdoor site? Do you require task lighting for a plumbing job? Or overhead lighting for a pedestrian walkway?
Asking these sorts of questions and referring to industry guidelines will help you choose the right options for your workplace.
Enhance communication
If your staff are working in dark conditions, you must have effective communication strategies in place.
This will ensure your staff can get the help they need quickly and efficiently if an accident happens.
For this reason, it’s often beneficial for staff to work together in pairs or groups in dark places.
If people do need to work alone, factor this into your risk assessments and ensure they have the tools and knowledge to follow safe practices on the job.
Give training to staff
One of the most important things to do when it comes to employee safety is to provide adequate training.
This will vary depending on job roles and the tasks they are carrying out, but “everyone who works for you needs to know how to work safely without risk to their health” says HSE.
For example, you’ll need to provide training and information on any hazards and risks in your workplace, the safety measures you have in place and emergency procedures staff should follow.
Those who are vulnerable to accidents may have more specific training needs. If in doubt, speak to an expert who can advise you on the level of training you should provide to staff.
There are many ways to help keep your staff safe in dark spaces, including installing adequate lighting, providing essential equipment and enhancing communication.
It’s important to familiarise yourself with industry standards and regulations to reduce risks and ensure your company operates safely.