Holiday Safety Tips

It’s that time of year where holiday parties at work and at home are in full swing. Below are 5 of our holiday safety tips to help you and your workers stay safe during the holiday season!

With the holidays just around the corner, workplace parties and celebrations are underway. And while these are full of fun and camaraderie among employees, being mindful of a few commonsense workplace safety tips can ensure everyone has a good time while avoiding workplace accidents and injuries.

Here are 5 holiday safety tips to help you stay safe while having a good time at work!

Safety at Workplace Holiday Parties

During work parties where food and drinks are served, take care to clean up spills promptly. This will help avoid the potential for slips and falls. Keep hot and cold foods at an appropriate temperature. Wash your hands prior to food handling and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Remember to use clean utensils and plates when serving and eating. Be mindful of other people’s allergies which you can easily do by avoiding bringing in dishes with common allergies like peanuts. Another option is to label your dishes with ingredients so participants can skip things that cause allergic reactions.

At the end of the party, collect trash and debris. Make sure to sweep, vacuum or mop the floor to minimize hazards.

Encourage Responsible Drinking and Driving

One option for workplace holiday safety is to not serve liquor at holiday work parties. Alcohol can impair motor skills and judgment. If alcohol is served, make sure employees are able to safely make it home.

Don’t overlook rideshare options like Uber and Lyft for holiday work functions that occur during work hours. Give your employees the option to take rideshare to and from work so they’re not worried about leaving their vehicle in the company lot overnight.

By showing your workers that they can have a good time drinking with their colleagues and still make it home safely, you can encourage them to be responsible at all their holiday get togethers.

Brush Up on General Safety Training

In many companies, new hires come on board for busy holiday periods. Make sure those new employees have received essential safety training. Go over general fire drill and fire extinguisher safety, along with safe ladder use and safe lifting. Check the smoke detection system, and avoid open flames from decorations like candles.

Be aware of fatigue too. As people work harder, pick up second jobs, and stay up later or get up earlier to take care of shopping and decorating, it’s easy to make mistakes because of tiredness.

Alternatives to Holiday Parties

If you’re worried that hosting a company holiday party will turn into a human resources disaster or a minefield of liability, it’s still possible to have a fun and joyous event while remaining safe.

Have a Secret Santa event where everyone draws a name from a hat and secretly buys a gift for that co-worker. Or have a week of themed events, such as an ugly Christmas sweater contest on Monday, a cookie bake-off on Wednesday, and a gift exchange on Friday. There are many great ways to celebrate the holidays without putting yourself and your employees at risk.

Have Fun and Happy Holidays!

The most important tip: have fun! Always remember that the risks are higher during the holiday party season, but despite that there are still many great ways to spread holiday cheer.

Everyone here at Sospes hopes you have a safe and joyful holiday!