Where have we come from?
Health and Safety has been a topic which has caused debate for many years with many stories in the press of Business owners not having the appropriate measures in place to ensure their workforce are safe at work, resulting in astronomical compensation pay outs to staff and fines towards the organisation. With this, surely the day has arrived where employers have to realise that by investing in Health and Safety will, in the long run, save the organisation money but will also see an increase in profit. Here we look at ways in which Health and Safety saves money for an organisation.
Prevention
In any walk of life prevention is better than the cure. By training your workforce to the required national guidelines will ensure you have educated your staff to the dangers within the workplace. For example, Construction organisations who train their staff on procedures around lifting and handling heavy objects have reported a drop in absence from work due to back injuries,this meaning the organisation is making money as they are not losing a member of staff to the sick bed. With the current state of the economy, it is essential that all organisations are operating at full strength. By training your workforce on the dangers within the workplace you are ensuring that people are empowered to act on issues which they feel maybe a danger to others and allowing for another view and perspective on problems which soon could escalate.
High Investment
At the time Health and Safety may seem expensive to manage and maintain but results will show that profit has been made by investing in this area. As Health and Safety training is a legal requirement there is no point in cutting corners. Over the years many organisations have gone out of business as they have incurred large fines and high insurance premiums to contend with. By simply having the correct measures in place, will result in a more happy and efficient workforce resulting in your organisation as whole reaping the financial benefits.
Stress at Work
High numbers of days absent from work are due to employee’s suffering from stress related illnesses both physically and mentally. Employee’s often raise issues to workload and working habits which have caused many to take time from work. Some of the most common illnesses we see are neck and shoulder injuries and this is because employee’s have not been trained on the correct procedures of how to set up their work station to best suit individual needs. For the sake of less than an hours training, could result in employees taking weeks at a time off work, which can prove rather costly.
With absenteeism on the rise for those who are suffering emotional stress, this usually relates to high workloads which have not been distributed evenly. Training should be given to what is a manageable workload with extra support provisions in place to ensure those who may be struggling with tasks are able to seek help.
Overview
Luckily, Health and Safety requirements are here to stay. Health and Safety should be embraced as not only will it save money, but will also prevent many people from incurring injuries within the workplace. All of which will ensure your organisation continues to prosper.
Author Bio
Ashley has been training employers and employees on issues around Health and Safety for the last four years and is a big advocater for ensuring the highest provisions are in place in all working environments.
How Health And Safety Can Save You Money?
