Tag: staff training

Tips To Improve The Cybersecurity Of Your Business

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

As a business owner, you’ll know that the security of your data is paramount. Data breaches can be inconvenient, costly and risky to say the least. As the cybercriminal moves with the technological times; so should you! With this in mind, let’s consider some essential tips to up your protection game. 

Multi-factor authentication 

Gone are the days when a strong password was enough! If you want to improve your security, it’s a good idea to go for multiple layers of authentication. A strong password is the first step. The next is authentication via a code; this code can be sent to the users iPhone for example. Some businesses go for a third method of authentication as well as these two steps. The third method is generally more advanced, for example, fingerprints or voice recognition. Security is especially important when employees are accessing your network on the go and from multiple devices. It’s also a good idea to use mobile device management so that you can monitor the devices which access your network.

Cloud-computing 

IT solutions like cloud-computing arrive with plenty of benefits, one of which is improved security. Cloud-computing systems use robust security regulations and have inbuilt antivirus software. These systems are encrypted to protect your data continually. It’s also simple to remotely wipe a device if it’s lost or stolen. With cloud computing, it’s easy to access your network anywhere and any time. Such features will increase the productivity of your business. You’ll also save money on IT equipment due to the use of remote servers. Cloud-computing can improve your communication as you can integrate your voice calling, messaging and email all on one platform. When you take steps to improve your productivity, you’ll have more time to spend on top priority tasks. 

Update your software

Software updates seem to pop up constantly, so some find them a bit of a bother. The fact is, it’s essential to install every update that comes up. Running software on older versions only makes you more vulnerable to security threats. Don’t be tempted to ignore software updates even if you’re really busy. It’s well worth the time it takes to update rather than risking a breach or a virus. Strong anti virus software should help you to decrease these kinds of risks. 

Train your staff

Your staff are the hub of your operation, so it’s vital that they are adequately trained on security. Ensure that they understand all the ins and outs of your security policies to minimize mistakes. You could also invest in a cybersecurity training course if you wish to help your staff further. Straightforward advice about not writing down or sharing passwords can go a long way. Password management tools can also come in handy to keep everything safe and sound.

Security breaches can put your company at risk and waste your time. It’s best to sit down and create a well designed policy and action plan to protect yourself. With a little research you’ll find the solutions which best suit your company and your current needs.

Work Safety – A Few Things to Consider

Scott Asai1 Comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

When you are setting up your own business, health and safety might not be the most exciting part. However, making sure that your employees are safe and healthy is paramount to your overall successes.

The vast majority of accidents should be easy to avoid with careful attention to detail. Just as a workers’ compensation lawyer about the number of daft incidents they have dealt with and you will see how simple it is to prevent most accidents.

Provide Proper Training

Proper health and safety is best achieved through training. This might be on the job training or it could be that you send your employees on an away day. If you can, you should encourage your employees to apply for further qualifications to better their understanding of their job and the health and safety involved. The better the training you provide, the better your employees will perform and the safer they should be.

Some businesses may be legally required to provide some training to their employees. Manufacturing companies in particular should be careful to ensure that they are in line with legal guidelines as the consequence of an accident on the shop floor could be catastrophic. Looking at the legal requirements of the industry should be one of the first things you do when you are planning a new business.

Create a Health and Safety Policy

Though a standard health and safety policy might work fine for an average business, the best thing to do is tailor your policy to suit your particular needs. Every business will need to factor in different things. For example, if you are a manufacturer, you will have a different health and safety policy to your average office setting.

Writing a health and safety policy is usually about looking at the risks in the workplace and then creating a plan to either prevent an issue arising or to ensure that you have a process in place to deal with a problem when it does happen. For example, you might identify wet floors as a risk and choose to put out wet floor signs.

You should never write a health and safety policy just once. This is a document that should be reviewed and revised regularly to ensure that it keeps up with the fast pace of your workspace.

Encourage Staff to Report Issues

Sometimes, employees can feel awkward about reporting health and safety issues because they might be worried about the problem reflecting badly on themselves or colleagues. This should definitely not be the case and everyone will be safer if you encourage your employees to speak up about worries.

Once your staff have reported an issue, you must then show that you are going to act on their tip. While you may not be able to eliminate every risk, making people more aware of potential hazards is the minimum you can do.

However boring you might think health and safety is, it is crucial that you get it right. A safe working environment is the most productive environment.

How To Avoid Injury Lawsuits

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

With the rise of compensation culture, employers nowadays are increasingly prone to coming under fire when it comes to health and safety. Not only do you have to worry about running your business, but this authority position also means that you have to keep an eye out for the health, safety, and well-being with every individual who engages with your business. Whether this is your employees, customers, or anyone else who makes use of your products and services or comes into contact with your professional properties. Now, this can sound like a lot of pressure, but if you handle health and safety in the correct manner, you can eliminate both the chances of people becoming hurt or injured at your hands and swerve expensive court cases at the same time! Here are a few ways to go about keeping everyone’s best interests in mind.

Safety Signage

A large number of accidents occur as people are unaware of hazards that surround them. People are easily distracted at the best of times, but the increasing popularity of smartphones and personal music systems means that people are less aware of their surroundings than ever. Take a look around you. Most people will be wearing a set of headphones, have their attention focused on their phones, or perhaps both at the same time. This is why prominent safety signage is so important. These brightly colored and bold signs catch people’s attention and alert them to potentially problematic situations. These should be used in various situations. If there has been a spill of some sort, a wet floor sign can prevent people from falling while the mess is being cleared and while the floor dries. Low ceiling signs can prevent people from bumping their heads, while indications of a step can prevent trips. Safety signage can also indicate exits should problems such as fire arise. This will help people to evacuate your commercial property quickly and efficiently.

Roof Fall Protection Systems

While relatively few people may frequent the roof of your professional locations, a fall could prove fatal. So install roof fall protection systems to ensure that anyone who does access the roof can clearly see the edge of the roof and is prevented from slipping from the edge.

Staff Health and Safety Training

While you may focus a lot of effort on training your staff to fulfill their given role to the highest level, you also need to spare time to fully train them in workplace safety. This should involve tutorials on proper lifting technique, fire safety procedure, and dealing with incidents or injuries effectively. The better trained your staff are, the less likely they are to experience injury themselves and the more likely they are to react appropriately should someone else come into trouble too.

While you may be busy and have all sorts of areas calling out for your attention, the health and safety of people need to be your priority. Just bear in mind how costly a court case could be. Not to mention the detrimental effects it could have on your professional reputation. So, always keep the old adage in mind: it’s better to be safe than sorry!