If you run a veterinary practice, there will be many things on your mind, not least the health & safety aspect and working with animals and medication poses many dangers to employees. Much like any other sector, health & safety is critical within a veterinary clinic and with that in mind, here are some tips to make your workplace safer.
Carry Out A Needs Assessment
There are leading agencies that offer veterinary health and safety support to practices and they would be happy to guide you when carrying out a health & safety needs assessment. This is the first thing to do, and the data collected will enable the agency to put together a plan to make your facility a safer place to work.
Stock Up On PPE
It is vital that veterinary staff wear latex gloves when working with animals, as a minor scratch or cut could lead to a serious infection. Bulk ordering saves money and running short of PPE is not an option, especially if you wish to remain compliant with the complex health & safety rules and regulations in the UK.
First Aid Access
Should a staff member get bitten or scratched by an animal, they should be able to clean the wound immediately, so there should be a few stations where this can be done. There should be no exceptions when the skin is broken, as the risk of infection is high and staff should know about basic first aid.
Outsource Health & Safety To A Third-Party Provider
It can drain your resources to delegate staff to handle health & safety and by outsourcing to a leading HR agency, your practice will always be compliant with government guidelines. It is essential that your business complies with health & safety guidelines and the best way to achieve this is enlist the help of a 3rd party provider.
Manual Handling Training
All staff members should know how to lift heavy animals and training can be provided by an agency that works in the veterinary field. It is very easy to hurt your back when trying to lift a large dog onto the observation platform, and rather than struggle, help should be at hand.
Exposure To Harmful Chemicals & Drugs
Those working with sick and injured animals are exposed to many chemicals and drugs; PPE is one way of preventing this. Of course, every substance has storing information, how to use instructions and warnings, which should be adhered to.
Coronavirus Guidelines
The pandemic is far from over and if there are social distancing measures in place, staff should be trained, while visitors informed by signage. The government has a lot of resources to help small businesses deal with the pandemic, which you can find with a Google search.
If you would like a health & safety consultant to assess your veterinary practice, search online for a leading HR support agency that services the veterinary sector. As the business owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that the workplace is safe and there are heavy penalties for those who do not comply.