Health & Safety in the Workplace and its Secret Benefits

Health and Safety at work used to be thought of as more of a burden to business than a necessity – but these days, most forward-thinking companies know that investing in H&S future proofs your business, protects it against the serious and damaging downtime that follows on from an accident and, as the following demonstrates, actually gives far more benefits than might at first be thought.

Safety = organisation = productivity

The most important commercial link between proper health and safety management and your business’s commercial bottom line lies in the improved productivity that comes with a protected working environment. Companies that consider practical, safe layouts, that deliver proper segregation between moving vehicles and their workforce and who kit out employees in the best PPE available, like these items from Wray Brothers, find that not only are accidents greatly reduced, but productivity is maximised.

Insurance premiums stay low

One of the most damaging hidden factors following a workplace accident is the sudden rise in facility insurance. Not only is the accident itself a great cause of stress and difficulty, a company will find that site and employee insurance can rise inexorably in the aftermath. Keeping your workforce protected and your facility streamlined can also protect these hidden insurance hikes.

Protection is motivation

When a workforce feels valued it works harder. Visible, conscientious and ongoing health and safety practises not only have a practical value, they create an overall feeling of wellbeing amongst employees. When workers feel looked after, they also feel more motivated. When workers are motivated their productivity improves.

No compensation for neglect

Accidents in the workplace can still happen and probably always will, however dedicated an employer is to health and safety – but mitigating costs in an accident’s aftermath can be helped if you’ve demonstrated good health and safety practise. For example, the average compensation claim in a warehouse following a vehicle-pedestrian accident is around £50,000. However, if a company can show it has done all it could to help prevent accidents that figure can be significantly reduced.

Return on investment is high

Extensive studies demonstrate how injury prevention in the workplace actually yields a return of £2-£5 from every £1 spent. Why? Because prevention is always better than cure. This is why most blue chip companies employ a health and safety professional and invest heavily in proper procedures – but the same applies to smaller companies who invest in smaller degrees – the returns are demonstrably real.

Improved reputation

What better example for a business than to lead a potential customer through a safely designed workplace, with protected personal all wearing the appropriate PPE? Displaying such intelligence and employee welfare consideration to a customer increases their confidence in the business and may well lead to increased sales, but will definitely mean an improved reputation overall.

Health and safety might, for some, still feel like a costly endeavour – but there is now proof that real investment in H&S isn’t a box ticking exercise but an absolute necessity for any forward-thinking business.