How to Future-Proof Workplace Health and Safety

OlufisayoFebruary 28, 20173700 views

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The size of a business does not matter when it comes to the topic of managing its health and safety issues. They are always very important.

All business owners have a legal obligation to provide a safe environment in all areas of their company.

This obligation applies to their in-house employees, contractors, field workers and more. Accidents that occur in the workplace will cost a company productivity, time, efficiency, as well as insurance premiums and in other ways. An effective health and safety workplace management program will benefit a business no matter what its industry or size.

Safety Statement

All employers owe certain moral and legal duty to their workers. They need to consider all of the consequences associated with incidents that happen in the workplace environment they create. A key element for all companies when it comes to health and safety is to have a written safety statement. This will be the basis for how workers are to be protected in the workplace and more.

Demographics and Psychographics

In many company workforces, the age gap between workers can be as much as 50 years. This means a company will have a broad range of worker safety-related issues to address. Notification of safety issues can often be communicated to younger workers in a digital format. Older workers may feel more comfortable using a paper format to learn about different safety issues. One group of workers may feel comfortable watching a video on a safety and health related topic, while others will prefer a live demonstration. Both need to be accommodated.

Megatrends Specific to Health And Safety

Workplaces around the world have experienced some dramatic changes in recent years. They will also continue to change in the future. A number of deaths that often occur in the workplace are often preventable deaths. There are currently some megatrends that are impacting the health and safety of workplaces internationally. New technologies involving automation and mechanization are increasing in many countries. Training in workplaces is now more visual and virtual than ever before. The health and safety of a work environment are now interrelated with a company’s productivity. Wearables are quickly becoming a very popular type of personal protective equipment and more.

Cost Effective

It has been estimated that companies spend over $160 billion annually on costs associated with workplace illnesses and injuries. The costs for handling this will come straight from the profits of a business. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA), proper health and safety management systems have resulted in business cost reductions by more than 38 percent. A company will operate more effectively when they have a successful safety and health management system in place. Some very large companies doing this have been able to experience more than a 12 percent increase in their workforce productivity. Businesses with less than 49 employees have been able to save over $260,000 annually by implementing an effective health and safety management program.

Reputation

When a business is known for its health and safety measures, it will result in a significant improvement in their reputation. Customers, employees, friends, as well as other associates, will have a positive view of a company and its operation. This will build confidence in a company’s management and their abilities. It will increase their standing within their industry and increase their ability to compete.

Workforce

When a company has proper health and safety measures in place, the number of employees taking time off work for being sick decreases. This will have a positive impact on the costs associated with staff absence. When employees spend more time on the job, and less time being sick, the need to recruit and train new workers also decreases. Retention of essential employees increases significantly.

Insurance and Legal Costs

A business with an effective health and safety program will often experience a decrease in their insurance premiums as well as legal costs. It will result in decrease in their insurance needs as well as costs for items not covered by insurance such as sick pay and more.

3 comments

Elick Matara March 9, 2017 - 12:56 PM

All aspects regarding How to Future-Proof Workplace Health and Safety are well covered here. I think will be good to recommend such an article to young companies trying to figure out what to do as security and safety of their companies is concerned.

Jamshaid Habibullah January 13, 2018 - 4:56 PM

A very fascinating topic of the post to magnetise the readers as it speaks well with high echo to get all concerned inculcated that how to have the passive and active proofing of workplace with health and Safety for all stakeholders , PEAR (People, Environment, Asset and Reputation ) by ensuring the implemention of self speaking SMART safety programs. Peter Drucker has very wisely phrased that "The guiding principle of the business economics is not the maximisation ion of the profits, it is the prevention of loss". How can we have prevention /reduction /avoidance of loss, only by having a strong HSE Management System to reduce the incedence rate as incidents cost money,direct and indirect. Incidents do not happen just, these are caused. Employees are to be made aware that "It is not right, if it is not safe". This has also to be preached that Incidents never take holidays. Leadership strong , visible and demonstrated commitment for HSE, can play a very effective and pivotal role to have workplace proofing by making safety as an integral part of all decision makings. It is said that if the CEO of the company sings a song, the whole company dances on that tune . Thinking well is wise Planning well is wiser Doing well is the wisest and Sow a thought, you reap an act Sow an act, you reap a habit Sow a habit, you reap a character Sow a character, you reap a destiny On top of that Training and Training and Refresher Training on the basis of Training Need Analysis (TNA) can also serve as a catalyst and prime mover to the incidents

Jamshaid Habibullah January 13, 2018 - 5:13 PM

In continuation to my previous comment, please note that the last sentence should be read as follows Training and Training and Refresher Training on the basis of Training Need Analysis (TNA)can also serve as a catalyst and prime mover to REDUCE the incedents. **Last sentence of the previous comment by mistake word Reduce was missed.Please accept my apologies

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