Most business owners think that their company provides a safe work environment for employees and perhaps even clients who might be visiting the business premises. But are they right? Every year there are thousands of PI claims against business owners with employees rightfully or wrongly arguing that they were forced to operate in an unsafe work environment. These cases are, as it turns out, incredibly easy to win because the law actually favors the employee. Indeed, the situation has become so severe that in the UK the government is acting to put restrictions on PI claims.
For the business owner, this just means it’s important to be absolutely sure that your business is as safe as it can be.
Emotional Issues
One of the things that business owners often forget is that safety doesn’t just refer to physical dangers. You need to consider the emotional well-being of your employees as well. Unfortunately, there is a lot that can go wrong mentally in the office. Stress can certainly be a problem and if your employees are too stressed, it can be detrimental to productivity levels.
There can be more clear cut issues as well such as office harassment. If an employee is able to argue that your business causes them to have mental issues, you will definitely be leaving yourself open to a lawsuit. Although, thankfully, this type of case isn’t quite as easy to win as a PI claim. Emotional distress cases are actually notorious for being remarkable difficult to even get a settlement. However, this doesn’t mean that you can ignore or disregard the issue.
Unforeseen Dangers
You probably hope that your business is never affected by an environmental danger like a fire or an earthquake. But you can’t say for sure that this won’t occur because, in the case of fires, accidents do happen. And, if we’re thinking about weather dangers, it’s completely unpredictable. The best thing you can do is make sure your business is properly prepared and protected. The issue with fires isn’t the occurrence itself but rather the safety measures in place. It’s quite possible that your safety equipment doesn’t operate as it should. That’s why you need to get it regularly checked and tested. According to Jims Fire Safety, equipment such as extinguishers must be checked at least every six months.
As for environmental incidents, at the very least you should make sure you have an insurance coverage plan in place. This will guarantee that you can compensate any workers that may have been injured.
Small Physical Problems
Another problem in the office that can be overlooked are small physical issues that often grow out of control. An example of this would be RSI, and most employers are completely oblivious to the danger here. This is certainly a problem because it’s estimated that millions of people are suffering from the issue right now. RSI is caused by constantly typing without breaks, often with poor technique. This puts a strain on the wrists and upper limbs, leaving people with severe pain that can become constant. Lawsuits based on this issue have cost firms hundreds of thousands of dollars, so you certainly need to be aware.
Take this advice, and you can know for sure that your business is indeed, safe.
