Employers have been advised about seven of the best ways to keep their workspace, and employees, safe.

Flexible workspace company Officio have named communication, risk assessments and trip hazards as some of the important areas to be aware of to keep their workforce safe.

Most of the accidents which occur in the workplace can be easily avoided if a few careful steps have been followed.

A spokesperson from Officio said:

“There is a duty of care by any employer to ensure the workforce is safe when they come to work.

“And this no longer relates solely to physical health – mental health is just as important, and employers need to recognise this.

“Having preventative measures in place, knowing what signs to look out for and having clear systems for everyone to follow are all ways employers can ensure they’re doing their best.”

These are Officio ’s tips on keeping the workplace safe:

1. Risk assessment

Any company with over five employees must have risk assessments. Noise levels, hazardous substances and electrical equipment must all be considered. The more detail put into the risk assessment, the easier it is to assess hazards and be prepared should something go wrong.

2. Electrical equipment

Electrics can very quickly turn into fire hazards. Ensuring plugs aren’t overloaded and all wires are all taped up and secure can stop any potential fires happening.

3. Fire hazards

Ensure all employees know where the fire escapes are, what to do if you see a fire and where the fire assembly point is.

4. Noise control

Noise can directly affect how comfortable employees are whilst working. If loud construction work is happening near your office is it advisable to avoid having workers sat near the source of the noise.

5. Reduce workplace stress

Encouraging employees to take their breaks, ensuring they don’t work long hours and helping ease heavy workloads are all ways you can help your workers look after their mental health at work.

6. Trip hazards

Make sure you have designated areas where all personal items can be stored out of the way of walkways to ensure there are no trip hazards.

7. Communication

This is one of the most important ways to keep workspaces safe. By keeping all channels of communication open, this means that all incidents can be rectified as quickly as possible and no one feels nervous about speaking out.