When you think of industries that can benefit from Take 5 Safety Checklists, you usually imagine construction sites with lots of heavy machinery and plenty of potential risks. Whilst these types of industries should undoubtedly be using health and safety checklists, many other industries can benefit from them too. 

But is yours one of them?

At UniPrint, we believe that all kinds of industries can (and should) be using Take 5 Safety Checklists. They’re a great way to keep risk prevention and safety at the forefront of both employers’ and employees’ minds. 

Let’s take a look at how exactly different industries can benefit from safety books and checklists.

What Is A Take 5 Safety Checklist?

As the name would suggest, they’re checklists that employees can fill out at regular intervals throughout the day/week/month depending on the risk level. They can be used to ensure machinery is working properly (and report it when it’s not) as well as identifying potential risks before they become accidents.

It’s really important to report hazards and create a strong safety culture at work so that everyone is kept as safe as possible. At UniPrint, we offer standard workplace safety checklists as well as Take 5 Safety Books which can be applied to different industries. We also offer customisable checklists and books that can be designed specifically for your workplace and industry. It’s possible to add company logos, emergency data, colours, and specific checklists to make them more relevant to employees. 

Industries That Can Use A Workplace Safety Checklist

Many different industries can benefit from having workplace safety checklists. They help workers to use machinery safely, check for potential hazards and stay safe at work.

Health Services Safety Checklists

Occupational health and safety for nurses is paramount in different healthcare facilities. They’re often working long hours in settings that can be quite hazardous. Simple to-fill-out checklists can be a great way for nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals to make sure they can go about providing care in the safest way possible.

For example, in a customised workplace safety book or equipment inspection checklist we could include:

• Making sure walkways are clear of things workers or patients and staff could trip over or slip on
• Ensuring workers have received fire and safety training
• Checking safety procedures are up to date (including numbers etc)
• Checking defibrillators and emergency equipment daily
• Procedures to report accidents

These are just a few of the vast range of topics and areas of safety that could be included in a checklist.

Safety Checklists for Local Councils

Local councils do a wide range of jobs to improve where we live. Several of the jobs carried out by the council involve a lot of equipment (some of it very specialised) and manual handling. Whether it’s cleaning, building, repairing or any other job, many workers can benefit from safety checklists to identify, report and stop hazards. Safety checklists for local councils can be used to:

• Make sure signs are visible and in the correct place
• Check that all equipment and machinery are maintained and operational
• Look for warning lights on machinery and equipment
• Assess weather conditions (and if it's safe to proceed)

Safety Practices in Education

Whether in a school or higher education, teachers and students can benefit from health and safety checklists being filled out regularly. When made part of a daily routine, they’re easy to fill out and can prevent accidents from happening in schools. Examples of points that can be added to a health and safety in schools checklist are:

• Ensuring that hazardous materials are clearly marked and out of the way of students
• Making sure all incidents and accidents are reported
• Checking that all adults know the designated fire evacuation route
• Ensuring there is sufficient safeguarding and security in place, such as signs to direct visitors to reception

Food and Hospitality

The food and hospitality industry is another one that can really benefit from implementing health and safety checklists in cafes, kitchens, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality settings. In many cases, workers are handling hot food and drinks which can easily become a hazard. A checklist can help to ensure that everything is in the correct place, machinery is working and there’s minimal risk of tripping or slipping. Some important points that can be included in a food and hospitality workplace are:

• Checking items, such as knives, are securely placed
• Ensuring all items are in their correct places to stop accidents
• Providing training to correctly clean machinery (with electricity turned off)
• Ensuring first aid kits are well-supplied

Safety Checklists for Agriculture

Like many other industries, agriculture often involves heavy machinery, unpredictable weather conditions and manual labour which can result in accidents. A checklist can identify hazards, allowing workers to report and fix them before they become serious accidents. Examples that can be included in a checklist for the agricultural industry include:

• Checking that everyone has the correct PPE
• Ensuring the designated area is prepared correctly and safe to work in
• Making sure machinery is well maintained and safe to use

Conclusion

Take 5 Safety Checklists and hazard reporting can be great additions to many businesses in a variety of industries. The aim of a checklist is to keep health and safety a priority for workers and employers and help them to identify hazards and resolve them. Workers across many industries can be kept safe by filling out simple checklists. Contact the team at UniPrint to create your own, custom checklists that work perfectly for your business and allow everyone to go home safely at the end of the day.