So what could health and safety training and helping a small business save money possibly have in common?
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 should be familiar to all businesses. There are many reasons to give this legislation serious consideration, not least of all because doing so can save your business money. Following are 3 reasons why Health and Safety Training can save you money.
Prevent Time Off Work
If an employee injures themselves whilst in the workplace they are going to require time off work. This can be costly for a number of reasons, not least of all because you may have to pay someone else to do their work for them. Add to this the fact that you will have to pay out sick pay and this could hit your business hard financially. Poor Manual Handling techniques cause more than a third of all work related injuries and many of these injuries affect the employees back. Back injuries often require prolonged periods of absence from work and are usually a recurring problem.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has this to say: ‘Handling injuries are the most commonly reported. Handling is the most frequent cause of over-3-day and the fourth most often reported kind of major injury.’
The HSE went on to say that … An estimated two million working days were lost (in 2011/12) due to handling injuries and slips & trips.’
Teaching your staff safe lifting techniques and assessing the risks of injury in the workplace are not only excellent ways to prevent injuries from occurring but they can also save you money in the long run. According to Nathan Bruton at LeBreton Health & Safety Training “Effective manual handling training will limit the chances of injury and is essential training for your workforce”.
Prevent Damage to Property
Of course, accidents that happen in the workplace not only affect your staff but will also affect your property. It is your moral and legal obligation to put in place proper risk assessments in order to prevent any possible accidents from happening. Accidents can damage machinery; fires can destroy documents and even buildings. By assessing the risks in the workplace you can prevent accidents before they even occur.
The costs of replacing damaged stock can be a tough financial blow. By making sure that Health and Safety Regulations are followed you can prevent costly accidents from happening.
Prevent Legal Fees and Fines
There is no end to the ‘No Win, No Fee’ advertisements for claims around at the moment. If somebody injures themselves whilst in work and this is due to a lack of proper risk assessments and training then you could be held personally responsible.
Wikipedia has this to say on the subject “Breach of the regulations is a crime throughout the UK. In England and Wales it is punishable on summary conviction with a fine of up to £20,000 or, if convicted on indictment in the Crown Court, an offender can be sentenced to an unlimited fine.”
It is good to bear in mind that it is not only a corporation that could be sued, individuals can also be sued. It makes sense to do all you can as head of a business to ensure that health and safety regulations are followed, that risk assessments are put into place and employees are regularly trained in matters of health and safety and good manual handling techniques.
Clearly then, keeping up to date with the latest legislation and keeping your staff fully trained will help prevent costly injuries to employees, expensive damage to property and financially shattering legal costs.
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Ross Davies is a small business owner himself and is also a regular blogger offering advice on employment issues and money saving tips for business owners. Ross lives in the UK with his wife and two sons and in his spare time he enjoys reading, blogging and social media.
