How to keep your employees safe after dark...

As we all know, the clocks are going back an hour on 25th October. For many of us this now means travelling and working in the dark. 

Employee safety has to be a top priority for any employer. While many companies are only aware of the requirement for safety within the workplace, many provide less attention towards safety when travelling or working in the dark.

This becomes a more pressing issue in October because of the clocks going back. This difference means a lot of us will find ourselves travelling home, going to meetings or visiting customers in darkness of later afternoon.

There are many tips that employers should give to workers for when they travel after dark:

Safety garments:

High visibility vests and waistcoats are essential for all workplaces, and they can be a life saver out on the road, making people a lot more visible if they are on a bike, next to a broken down car or even walking down a dark road. 

If it’s required for a job, employers must provide high visibility clothing free of charge, keep it clean and in working order. They must also make sure that employees fully understand when, where and why they need to wear it.

Carry a torch:

Having a torch whilst travelling is very useful for protection, especially if employees enter any dark roads or paths. Small torches that can be fixed to keyrings or be placed in a bag are ideal purely because they will be easy to carry. However, if people are given items that depend on batteries then make sure they have a supply of spare batteries.

Mobile phone:

In this day and age, we all have a mobile phone. However, some workplaces do not require mobile phones whilst on the job for safety reasons and therefore many workers could forget or leave their phones at home. Although, putting a fully charged phone in your bag or vehicle for the journey to and from work could make a big difference if employees witness or are in an accident.

Although many of us like to take a look at our phones when we’re walking along, conspicuous use of smartphones or tablets can make us more of a target for muggers. Ensure employees are keeping devices out of sight when they are on the move, ideally concealed in a zipped bag or case, using them only for emergencies. 

Travel in numbers: 

Car sharing between employees can not only help reduce traffic and ease car parking pressures, but it also means people aren’t travelling home alone. Plus, employees can see each other leave and arrive at home safe. If there is more than one person travelling to an appointment then suggest that they travel together.