Responsibility, Fairness, and Impact: Why Should Startups Follow HSE Compliance?

Regardless, start-ups are as important for entrepreneurs and soon-to-be employees, which is why ensuring their establishment is on point can be detrimental to success. Starting with a smaller scale does not mean skipping compliance, regulations, or respecting strict operating guidelines, especially when it comes to worker well-being.

One of the most important standards in this matter is HSE, or the Health and Safety at Work Act, which helps any type of enterprise create a safe working environment and avoid legal issues. Let’s see what it involves.

Every party should know its rights and obligations

Ensuring employees are safe at work helps increase productivity and reduce the risk of incidents that lead to accidents. Achieving this means that both the employer and the employee are aware of their rights and obligations, so they can fulfil their obligations and protect themselves.

For example, employees have the right to benefit from a high level of protection for their health and safety at work. This includes being provided with the right equipment or professional needs that are also appropriate for the environment. For construction workers, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is non-negotiable. On the other hand, employees have the obligation to perform their work carefully, comply with instructions, and use their specific equipment.

When it comes to employers, they have the right to define job roles, establish company policies, and require mandatory overtime, but they also have obligations to provide compensation and ensure the safety of their workers. Breaching workplace safety regulations can lead to HAS enforcement following an injury at work caused by this negligence.

The employer must be aware of the possible hazards at work

Businesses across industries might identify specific hazards or causes of employee accidents and injuries, so employers know what to expect in most cases. At the same time, predicting potential issues and seizing them in real time when they occur is necessary to prevent unfortunate events.

Spotting the hazards by employees is usually the best way to record these problems, so offering them a channel to voice concerns, such as possible slips, trips, or falls, is ideal. Unfortunately, many workers fear pointing out such errors because they doubt their employer. This is why, as an entrepreneur, gaining your employees' trust can help you avoid a series of troubles.

Some examples of possible hazards in the office include:

• Safety hazards: frayed cords, working from heights, or moving machinery;
• Biological hazards: mould, insect bites, bacteria;
• Physical hazards: extreme temperatures, loud noises, radiation;
• Ergonomic hazards: frequent lifting, poor posture, repetitive movements;
• Environmental hazards: pollution, extreme weather events, unstable infrastructures;

The employees must receive proper training

Training is one of the leading factors in a thriving, happy workplace, as every individual knows the steps to navigate the challenges of everyday life, from completing their tasks to managing hazards. Unfortunately, even corporations might skip the training phase due to the costs of training every new employee, given the turnover rate.

Effective training helps avoid the most common types of accidents and prevents injuries, and includes:

• Assessing the needs of the team, such as specific goals you must achieve with the training;
• Having clear goals, starting with the simple SMART technique (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely);
• Motivating employees by providing incentives, facilitating social learning, or making courses accessible;
• Accepting and seeking feedback on the training knowledge to refine future programs;

Adequate training is essential for meeting compliance and safety standards, but it should also include regularly updating information and keeping employees up to date on the latest changes in legislation and trends.

The employer must create equal opportunities for women and men

Times have changed, but some things stay the same, including the tendency for gender discrimination to reappear once every now and then. This is unfortunately prevalent in sectors like tech start-ups, where management happens to favour men over women as valuable employees. An example is questioning women's competencies and abilities to perform the same tasks or activities as men are assigned. This is called benevolent sexism in the business vocabulary and is a form of bias.  

The impact of sexism is evident: it affects performance, job satisfaction and mental health. Moreover, it makes women feel out of place as they don’t have a sense of belonging in a workplace when their male co-workers insist on making hostile yet seemingly innocent jokes.

Counteracting these behaviours can be difficult, especially when the startup lacked women employees from the start. However, there are ways to cement a better approach and create equal opportunities, such as:

• Closing the gender pay gap by conducting pay audits, from which you will focus on skills, performance, and clear criteria to provide the salary and incentives;
• Looking into inclusive hiring practices that promote flexible work arrangements and sustain a diverse hiring panel;
• Empowering women for leadership through mentorship programs, development opportunities, and encouraging networking;

Of course, prioritising women in the office is necessary when there are risks of sexism, but there might be cases of misandry as well in certain offices, which is why conducting frequent audits and collaborating with HR is important.

Final considerations

The Health and Safety at Work Act is one of the most important documents for enterprises, small businesses, and start-ups to follow in the UK to ensure the utmost efficiency. Most importantly, introducing and following health and safety basics will help teams thrive and collaborate better, as they know their rights, are sure to work in a secure workplace, and are protected from gender discrimination. In addition, properly training employees will help protect them from further accidents and injuries.