How to Protect Employees in the Oil Sector

Working in the oil industry can present many hazards to your team members, and you might even find that people are reluctant to work for you. To mitigate this, you should put more focus into developing policies and strategies that will protect your employees and ensure that they will feel safe and enjoy working for you for many years to come. Then, here is how you can protect your employees within the oil sector and beyond. 

Employ the Right Team 

Safety practices begin before you have even hired the employees that you want. Although you might be in a hurry to introduce the right people to your brand and to get them settled into their new role, it is vital that you employ people who prioritize their own safety and who are able to follow instructions and listen to their leaders. You need people who are able to communicate and collaborate, as well as those with some background in a similar role or within the oil industry. Your team should also be responsible, sensible, and focused. This can decrease the risk of them throwing themselves headfirst into a hazard. You can do this by introducing the correct recruitment strategies and by asking for references from previous employers. It can be hard to work out what certain people will be like, though, and this is why you should put your new recruits on probation or use trial periods or shifts to see them in action. 

Hire a HR Company

Your business is oil. It might not be HR. However, it is likely that you will have to hire others to ensure the success and growth of your company. You should not despair, though. It is still possible to keep up with legislation and care for your employees even if you have no previous knowledge of employment law. All you need to do is hire an HR company to do the work for you with their specialist knowledge and years of experience. This HR company will be able to give you advice that has been tailored for your industry and area and cover topics such as employment contracts and payroll. For instance, you might look at the tricks of companies like HR Dept in Chipping Sodbury if you are based in the UK. Otherwise, you might look for similar brands in your district and country. In some cases, you might hire a HR company if you are currently facing a PR or employment disaster and want to turn your fortunes around. 

Know What to Do in the Event of Injuries 

Injuries and illness happen all the time, sometimes regardless of the safety measures you put into place. Although you can do a lot to help reduce these injuries, such as making your staff wear the appropriate amount of PPE, injuries and illness can still occur. You will not be a bad employer if you simply know what to do in the event of an injury, though, and hurry to do this. 

For a start, you or another team member must be a first aider and you should always have a first aid kit within reach. Not only this, but you should report this in an accident book and refer your employee to the medical care they need as soon as possible. It is also vital that you give them time off to recuperate, and compensation if they require it or if your company has been the direct cause of their illness or pain. Once they have recovered, you should introduce your employee back into your team gradually, and you might want to give them lighter tasks to start off with. 

Give Clear Instruction

Miscommunication can be dangerous. Instead of allowing this to get the better of you, you should make sure that any instructions that you give your team are clear and understood, even if you have to repeat them or write them down. You should allow your team to ask any questions they have, and check they are fully equipped with the right knowledge and equipment to complete this task. 

There is no point in giving them clear instructions if they do not know what to do with them, though. This is where training comes in. Rather than just coming up with a training scheme when you are onboarding your employees, you should provide this training throughout the year, especially if processes or tools change, or you think your staff’s skills and abilities are waning. This will give everyone the chance to be on the same level and will enable your employees to be in a position where they can carry out their jobs without any fear.