Health and safety is one of the most important aspects in the workplace and can be overlooked in many commercial businesses. During 2019/2020 it was reported that there were 693,000 workplace injuries (HSE). CCTV has come on drastically over the past 10 years to a point where it is not only just used for security but also to monitor health and safety and help reduce accidents within the workplace.
Monitoring Staff
Commercial CCTV systems can help to monitor employees and contractors while they are on your premises. A 24/7 CCTV system monitoring your employees helps to ensure health and safety guidelines are followed and also that any potential hazards are identified. The very presence of a CCTV camera can serve as a deterrent for employees that were considering carrying out actions that go against your health and safety rules and guidelines.
CCTV Footage as Evidence
There are many different accidents that happen in the workplace including equipment accidents, falls and items dropping from a height. A professionally installed CCTV system monitoring your workplace can help capture accidents that occur which then provides the exact facts of how an accident took place. This footage can be used as evidence if needed to settle disputes in court, it can also be used as training material and examples of how accidents can occur and how they can be avoided.
Spotting Hazards in Real-time
Factories, warehouses and construction sites all have the potential to be dangerous places if the correct safety guidelines are not followed. As an owner or manager of a commercial premises, you are responsible for the safety of the employers who work on the premises and so you have to show that you have put procedures and equipment in places to help with health and safety.
Having professional CCTV installed helps to spot hazards before they happen and also help monitor an area if an incident is occurring. With the quality of CCTV footage increasing drastically over the past few years CCTV cameras can now capture detailed images of what is going on in particular work areas. It also allows you to immediately take action on any situation and stop it, potentially before anyone gets seriously injured or a piece of equipment gets damaged. CCTV cameras can now be accessed remotely via phones and tablets which now allows you to view your CCTV systems remotely. This feature is highly beneficial for site managers who control a number of sites from different locations, it allows them to monitor their employees and make sure they are following all of the correct safety regulations.
Tampering and Vandal Prevention
Many commercial premises and sites have expensive equipment that can be a target for vandals that also can tamper with the equipment and potentially make it unsafe to use. CCTV, while firstly acting as a deterrent, can also monitor equipment. If there are reports of vandalism then the CCTV camera footage that was monitoring that equipment can then be viewed. This can show managers whether vandals potentially tampered with equipment and if say so can then arrange for it to be checked before that piece of equipment is operated by an employee.
Legal Considerations
Like with any type of CCTV monitoring within the workplace there are legal considerations to be aware of as you are handling personal data. Workers must be made aware they are being monitored, for example, by putting up CCTV signs. There are other legal requirements that need to be followed which we have covered in our blog on CCTV Laws For Commercial Premises.
Health and safety CCTV advice
If you need help and advice on the supply and installation of a commercial CCTV system to help with health and safety on your commercial premises call our team directly on 01492 547997 or send us an email to [email protected] and we will be happy to offer free CCTV advice.
