Get ready for a safe and healthy new year
)
Posted: Mon 23rd Dec 2024
The festive season is upon us and as we look forward to celebrating with friends, family and colleagues, it's also the perfect time to take stock and think about how we can make 2025 the year of safety, health, and wellbeing at work.
While the holidays are a time of fun and festivity, they’re also an ideal moment to reflect on the workplace and set meaningful goals for the year ahead.
Here are six health and safety resolutions to consider as we step into 2025 — ensuring your business remains safe, healthy and compliant in the year to come.
1. Refresh your risk assessments: Make safety a priority for the new year
As the Christmas decorations go up and staff prepare for the holiday break, it's easy for businesses to slip into a festive haze and forget about important health and safety tasks. But before the year ends, it’s vital to take a moment to review your risk assessments and make sure they’re up to date.
The risks in the workplace can change over time, whether due to new equipment, updated working practices, or even seasonal factors, such as winter weather. As we head into 2025, take the time to carry out a thorough risk assessment across all areas of your business. It’s especially important to review potential hazards that are more common during the colder months — such as slips, trips and falls on icy paths, or additional fire hazards from Christmas lights and decorations.
Top tip: Involve your employees in the process by encouraging them to spot potential risks they encounter on a day-to-day basis. When everyone plays a role in identifying hazards, safety becomes a shared responsibility.
2. Focus on mental health and wellbeing: Prioritise people after the festive rush
While the holiday season brings much-needed cheer, it can also bring a fair amount of stress. From tight deadlines and the pressure of wrapping up the year to the busy social calendar, employees often face mental health challenges at this time of year. It’s essential to remember that wellbeing is just as important as physical safety and as we head into 2025, mental health should remain a priority in the workplace.
In the run-up to Christmas, consider introducing wellness initiatives that support employees through the festive season. This could be offering flexible working hours, introducing mindfulness sessions or simply reminding staff of the support resources available to them, such as employee assistance programmes (EAPs).
Equally, as we enter the new year, businesses should look at implementing long-term strategies to support mental health, such as regular check-ins with managers, mental health first aid training and a strong work-life balance culture.
Festive tip: Don't wait until January to start — use the end of 2024 as an opportunity to check in with your team and make sure everyone feels supported before the year closes.
3. Review your training and compliance: Start the new year with confidence
In the same way, you’re wrapping up tasks and goals for the year, now is a great time to ensure that all your staff are up to date with their safety training. While it's tempting to focus on the holiday festivities, keeping training and compliance at the top of your agenda will set the stage for a safe and successful year ahead.
Is there any training that needs refreshing? Maybe your team needs a refresher on fire safety, first aid, or safe use of equipment. Has your company grown or changed over the past year? If you’ve hired new employees, now is the time to ensure they’re fully inducted into your safety procedures.
New Year’s resolution for training: In 2025, consider implementing more interactive and engaging safety training, such as hands-on workshops or e-learning modules, to make compliance both effective and enjoyable.
4. Deck the halls safely: Keep festive decorations safe and sound
Christmas decorations can bring festive cheer to the workplace, but they also come with their own set of safety considerations. Overloaded electrical outlets, fire hazards from poorly maintained lights, and tripping risks from decorations or clutter are just a few of the things to watch out for during the holiday period.
If you haven’t already, it’s important to carry out a safety check to ensure that all decorations are safe and that no hazards have been introduced to the workspace. For example, check that lights are switched off at the end of the day and that decorations don’t obstruct walkways or exits. Be sure that all electrical items are tested and safe to use.
Pro tip: Once the holidays are over, conduct a post-Christmas clear-up to remove any potential hazards left by decorations — making sure the workplace is as safe as it was before the festivities began.
5. Help your team bounce back after the holidays: Return-to-work health checks
After a long break, returning to work can sometimes feel overwhelming. This is the ideal time to encourage employees to take care of their physical and mental health and to ease back into work safely.
Whether it’s through introducing workplace wellness schemes or offering guidance on how to stay active during the winter months, setting the tone for a healthy start to the year can make a big difference. For businesses with more physically demanding roles, consider offering ergonomic assessments or providing access to stretching exercises or fitness challenges to kick-start the year.
New Year’s resolution for health: Consider offering a "post-holiday wellness week" in January, where employees can access free health checks, fitness classes, or nutritional advice to start the year feeling refreshed.
6. Plan your health and safety calendar for the New Year
As the new year looms, it’s important to establish a clear health and safety calendar for the upcoming year. Having a detailed timeline of risk assessments, training sessions and regulatory reviews will help ensure you stay on top of everything, rather than scrambling at the last minute.
By planning your health and safety initiatives for 2025 now, you’ll ensure that your business remains compliant and that your employees are engaged and empowered to prioritise safety year-round. Consider adding events like safety workshops, fire drills and health and wellbeing seminars to the calendar — keeping your team informed and involved.
Pro tip: Add a bit of fun to your health and safety calendar by planning events like a 'Safety Challenge' or 'Wellness Month' to keep your team motivated and engaged.
As we enjoy the final weeks of this year, let’s not forget to prepare for the year ahead with safety at the forefront. As you tuck into mince pies, exchange holiday greetings and get ready to ring in the new year, take a moment to think about how you can make 2025 the safest, healthiest year yet for your team.
Relevant resources
You might also like…
