Workplace safety is something typically discussed in the context of large corporations or mid-sized companies operating in a dedicated business space. We rarely talk of it in relation to home-based businesses. That’s a mistake because home-based businesses are on the rise.
It has been estimated that upwards of 96% of all businesses in the UK employ fewer than 10 people. A fair number of those businesses are home-based. Entrepreneurs set up businesses in their homes, sometimes working alone and at other times working with family members and hired staff.
The thing about workplace safety is that it does not discriminate based on location. Accidents can happen at home as easily as a warehouse or If you do not have a safety-first mindset in your home, you are more likely to have an accident that could cause serious injury.
Accidents Happen at Home
Before you roll your eyes and assume that accidents in the home are no big deal, take a look at the data. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA):
- Accidents happen at home more often than any other place
- Some 6000 deaths annually are attributed to home accidents
- More than 2 million children annually require emergency medical care as a result of home accidents
- Home accidents are more likely to involve children under the age of 5 and adults over the age of 65
- Falls are the most common form of accidents occurring in the home
- More home accidents occur in the lounge/living room than any other room in the house.
The statistics do not lie. Household accidents are so common that most of us don’t even think about them. It stands to reason that if you spend the majority of your time at home – due to running a home-based business – you’re more likely to have an accident at home.
How do you prevent such accidents? With a change of mindset and operation. Making a few minor changes can make the difference between significantly improving the safety in your home and sitting around waiting for an accident to occur.
Get a First Aid Kit
The first thing to do is to get a good first aid kit. Even if your home were the perfect environment from a safety perspective, you still wouldn’t be immune from accidents. They still happen. So having a good first aid kit on hand is important. A first aid kit affords the opportunity to provide emergency first aid care in the event of injury.
You can find top-rated HSE approved first aid kits online. They are pretty affordable as well. If you prefer to make your own kit, that is perfectly fine. Do some online research to figure out what would be appropriate for your kit, based on the general risks in your home.
Get Rid of the Clutter
The previously cited statistics from the ROSPA indicate that falls are the most common type of home accident. Falls account for all sorts of injuries including fractured hips, skull fractures, twisted ankles, head lacerations, and so forth. Yet one of the simplest and easiest things you can do to make your home safer is to minimise exposure to things that can cause trips and falls.
For example, commit to eliminating all the clutter from your home. This is especially important if you run a small business from home, given that home-based businesses often require extra office equipment and supplies.
You might have boxes of copy paper stacked up just inside the doorway to your office. Those boxes are a tripping hazard. Move them. If you do not have a closet you can store them in, perhaps you can stack them under a bed or put them up on a shelf.
Maintain Floors and Entryways
Along with getting rid of the clutter, commit to maintaining all the floors and entryways in your home. Worn carpets are a tripping hazard. Wet floors invite slips and falls during inclement weather. Damaged entryways present all sorts of hazards from tripping over the threshold to banging your head on a door that will not open all the way.
It is a good idea to put non-slip floor mats at every entrance. If your home-based business employs a number of staff members, the entrance they use would be made a bit safer by giving them a place to leave wet shoes, umbrellas, etc. Inside your home, give them clear and clean workspaces so they do not have to contend with unnecessary safety issues.
We generally think of home as the safest place to be. The data says otherwise. With the home being the most likely place to have an accident, it should be evident that maintaining a safe environment is extremely important. It is even more important if you are running a business out of your home. You owe it to yourself and your staff if you have them to create a workplace that is as safe as possible.
