How Loop HR Helped Us Pass A H&S Inspection With Flying Colours
‘No-one relishes a health and safety check, especially when you’re busy. So my heart sank a little when I heard we’d been selected randomly for a local council inspection’, explains Kimisha Thompson, Manager at The Stress Exchange.
‘I’m delighted to say we passed with flying colours, with no further recommendations for improvement. The Inspector even complimented me on our induction process on our Loop HR software system, and the part it plays in helping me ensure the salon team comply with health and safety legislation.’
Our HR Health & Safety Documentation In One Place
Every hair and beauty business has a legal obligation to its employees to give clear health and safety instructions, information and training. Your team need to understand the risks and how to work safely.
‘So I wasn’t surprised when the Inspector asked to see our salon’s H&S policies, insurances and staff handbook, and it was reassuring to know they are all stored in one central place online in Loop HR so I can quickly lay my hands on them. No scrabbling in desk drawers and files looking for scraps of paper with him peering over my shoulder.
‘The Inspector was also impressed that my team can access this information at anytime from anywhere on their phone, and are easily notified via the software of any changes and additions.’
Get New Salon Employees Up To Speed Fast
‘Basic induction training in how to work safely, including arrangements for first aid, fire and evacuation is a legal requirement for all new staff’ explains Kimisha.
‘It’s commonsense really – anyone new to the salon workplace faces unfamiliar risks from their new job and from their surroundings.’
Did you know?
Employees are as likely to have an accident in the first 6 months of a job, as during the whole of the rest of their working life.
‘I explained to the Inspector how I start by walking a new team member around the salon introducing everyone, showing how we operate, our culture and, of course, talk about health and safety.
‘We then sit down and look at our H&S ‘paperwork’ together. Except of course it isn’t ‘paperwork’ these days as all our HR health and safety is centralised on Loop HR and viewed on screen. I must say this does makes it easy to go through, and ensures I don’t miss anything in our induction process.
‘I find Loop’s handy in-built induction checklist template invaluable as it lists everything that I must cover legally, as well as other salon specific items I want to include in every induction.
‘The induction checklist even has a tick box for the new employee to acknowledge they have seen everything. This completed induction checklist remains on the employee profile in Loop HR so the H&S Inspector immediately saw we comply with our legal obligations with a robust induction process, ensuring every new team member is informed and safe.’
Health and safety, together with staff wellbeing, are fundamental to good business practice. Get it wrong and it can be very difficult and costly.
One company was fined a total of £100,000 and ordered to pay £30,000 costs after employees suffered from dermatitis. They breached The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by not making adequate risk assessments, not preventing or controlling exposure of employees to chemicals, not providing any ‘health surveillance’ of employees at-risk and failing to report a case of allergic contact dermatitis.
An Easy Line Of Communication With Your Employees
The law states you must consult all your employees on health and safety matters which means listening and talking to them about their work, how risks are controlled and the best ways of giving them H&S information and training.
‘Not everyone has the confidence to raise health and safety issues face to face so Loop HR’s secure messaging system helps us all to talk about concerns and information anytime, anywhere,’ says Kimisha. ‘Whether I’m in salon or on my morning commute I can message individuals or broadcast an H&S message to all the team.’
Training Records & HR Prompts For Your Salon Team
Kimisha continues, ‘Time flies when you’re busy so keeping track of health and safety training and when H&S refreshers are due used to be an administrative nightmare. Now Loop HR automatically reminds both me and team members of upcoming dates as well as keeping comprehensive training records.’
