Is it feeling a bit lonely round your workplace at the moment – or are you jumping with temporary summer staff?
It’s a funny time of year for organisations as some scale down and run on a skeleton crew, while others are packed out with temporary workers hired to deal with the seasonal rush. There’s a world of difference between a factory and an ice-cream shop in August!
One thing that doesn’t change, though, is your responsibility to keep everyone who uses your premises safe, even visitors. And that can be tricky when places become half-empty, or when there are lots of newbies wandering around.
Chris Hickman, CEO of Bison Assist, says: “Maintaining compliance at this time of year requires careful planning, spot-on communication and up-to-date risk assessments to make sure your standards don’t slip when regular routines are disrupted.
“One of the biggest risks during the summer is reduced workforce capacity. While your experienced employees are away enjoying their holidays, remaining staff may be asked to cover unfamiliar tasks or work extra hours, or you might take on temps to fill the gaps.
“While this helps keep things running smoothly, it can also increase the chance of mistakes, fatigue and accidents.
How to mitigate the risks
- Make sure ensure that anyone taking on new responsibilities has received proper instruction and supervision.
- Monitor workloads carefully to avoid placing excessive pressure on employees, particularly where safety-critical tasks are involved.
- Temporary or seasonal staff may have limited knowledge of your workplace, its hazards and emergency procedures, so give them a comprehensive health and safety induction before beginning work. Temporary workers should never be expected to “learn as they go” when their safety could be at risk.
- Make sure they get info on site-specific hazards, safe systems of work, fire and emergency arrangements, accident reporting procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and who to contact if they have any health and safety concerns. There’s more info about temporary workers on the Health and Safety Executive site if you need it.
- If your premises will be deserted and locked up during the holidays, remember you still need to take care not to allow hazards to build up, such as Legionella infection in static water supplies.
- Up-to-date risk assessments play a central role in helping you stay safe and compliant throughout the summer period, making sure any potential risks are spotted and dealt with.
Chris says: “Your risk assessments should be reviewed whenever there are significant changes to working arrangements, staffing levels or workplace activities.
“For example, introducing temporary staff, altering work schedules, closing sections of a building or carrying out maintenance during quieter periods may all require existing assessments to be updated.
“Our Bison Assist risk assessment consultants work with businesses across a wide range of sectors to identify hazards, evaluate risks and recommend practical control measures – and they are always available for help and advice when needed.”
Summer can also be an ideal time to carry out planned maintenance or temporarily close premises. Before reopening, employers should undertake suitable inspections to ensure equipment remains safe, fire safety systems are operational, emergency exits are accessible and any maintenance work has been completed safely.
Chris says: “The need for good health and safety never takes a holiday.
“If you need advice on how to plan for holiday periods and to keep your risk assessments up to date, get in touch.
“No-one wants to imagine anybody having a nasty accident or falling ill on their premises at this time of year. Taking a proactive approach not only helps you meet your legal obligations, but also supports business continuity – and makes sure everyone gets to enjoy their summer!”