| Our workplace should be free of any immediate | | | | For medical emergencies you would usually call for |
| hazards and in general a safe place to work, free | | | | an ambulance although some injuries can be |
| of worry or danger. Sometimes there are | | | | handled in the workplace with a standard first aid |
| situations that are out of our control and these | | | | kit, again a trained first aid practitioner should |
| emergencies can require immediate medical | | | | handle any workplace accidents. A key part of |
| treatment or fire fighting actions to be taken. | | | | employee liability is to have an accident book |
| There are some situations where the safest way | | | | where all work related injuries are logged for |
| to handle the situation is to evacuate the building | | | | future reference. Again, some industries such as |
| and inform the emergency services. | | | | laboratories may need extra safety equipment |
| There are a few situations though that depending | | | | such as eye wash stations or disinfecting showers |
| on your working environment you may be able to | | | | when working with hazardous chemicals. |
| handle the situation yourself, saving a 999 call so | | | | In any workplace you need to conduct regular |
| that the emergency services can deal with more | | | | assessments of risks to ensure that your |
| life threatening situations. | | | | business is offering a safe working environment |
| To make sure your place of work is safe then | | | | for all employees, this is especially important in |
| you need to have fire prevention equipment in | | | | industrial settings as some faults or hazards could |
| accordance with your industry. Office based | | | | be accepted as "a part of the job" by some |
| workplaces will obviously not need more fire | | | | workers and so could be putting themselves at |
| equipment than an industrial or factory based | | | | unnecessary risk. If your company notices safety |
| business. There are different types of fire | | | | issues before they harm employees or visitors |
| extinguisher available for different category of | | | | then they will not have to face personal injury |
| fires, there are fire extinguishers that are made | | | | claims against the company either. |
| for paper or wood based fires which for example | | | | Another by-product of an unsafe working |
| cannot be used on electrical fires. There should | | | | environment is workers simply not wanting to |
| also be a dedicated fire marshal in your office or | | | | work there, so ensure your workplace is safe and |
| department if your place of work is very big, | | | | suitable for all workers regularly to continue being |
| they should be trained to conduct fire evacuations | | | | a good employer with the welfare of their staff |
| and operate any fire safety equipment. | | | | at heart. |