Warmer weather and long bank holiday weekends in May provide opportunities for outdoor dining and many people may be bringing out their barbeques.
There is something enticing about meat and vegetables that have been cooked over an open flame grill outside, but there are also considerable dangers that can create real home-based health and safety issues for your employees and their families.
Many employers take the view that these things are nothing to do with them, but this view is becoming increasingly outdated as all types of employers recognise that an employee with a healthy life away from work is more likely to be someone who is highly engaged with their work and employer, a regular attender with good timekeeping, and achieve higher levels of productivity.
So, it makes sense to show an interest in the lives your employees have away from work and support them to fulfil their lifestyle aspirations.
In the UK we don’t have the all year-round sunshine or the guaranteed good summer weather that some other countries do, so when we get a long weekend and good weather, we do like to make the most of it.
Unfortunately, the irregular opportunities we have to enjoy these events mean that many people do not have the skills or knowledge needed to enjoy these times without injury to ourselves or others.
Over Exertion – Taking on a physical activity over a long weekend, like a hike across the hills or playing some sort of sport when exercise is not a regular feature of life can result in exhaustion which prevents an employee returning to work or more serious health issues like a heart attack.
Over Exposure – The sun is out so the shirt comes off and stays off for too long without even the smallest application of sun screen. Sun burn can be painful in the short-term and create a reason for absence. In the long term it can result in skin diseases including cancer that result in long term absence and can be fatal.
Under Hydration – Regardless of the weather or the time of year many people simply do not drink enough water resulting in low hydration. Warmer weather increases the need to drink more water in order to maintain good levels of body and brain function. Low hydration levels can cause headaches and lower levels of performance. Your employee will either be absent or attending but performing badly.
Over the Limit – when the weather warms up for many people there is nothing better than a long cold alcoholic drink or two, maybe three. Alcohol dehydrates and in warmer weather the dehydration comes on quicker and lasts longer.
Alcohol can still be in the body the day after and might result in an employee being involved in a road traffic accident as they drive to work, being over the alcohol limit and losing their licence.
Barbeques – There is something about warmer weather that encourages people to bring out their barbeques and cook meat. Unfortunately, as this is a cooking method that we do not use often mistakes are often made.
A great barbeque can be followed by absence from work as a result of burns caused by the grill, or food poisoning caused by incorrectly cooked meet.
Preventing Absence
You can download a free guide to barbeque safety from the Work Place Learning Centre at this link.
Share it with your employees as a way of encouraging them to have a good time in a safe way.
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