Your Questions Answered: Why is Health and Safety imperative for the Workplace?

We’re sure you’ve heard about it by now, but Health and Safety is an absolute must for any business. Every staff member has the right to expect to work in a safe and secure business environment, and this can only be ensured with the implementation of Health and Safety procedures. 

It’s not uncommon for people to approach us on Twitter or Facebook and ask us about Health and Safety in general, so we’ve decided to answer all the questions you’ve been asking us, so you can understand almost everything there is to learn about Health and Safety.

The Stats

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 it is the employer’s duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees, however, not all companies will abide by this act of legislation.

In the 2015/16 working year, there were 144 fatalities that were caused by a workplace accident. These fatalities were caused by: 

• Fall from a height – 26%
• Struck by a moving vehicle – 19%
• Being struck by a moving object – 10%

A further estimate of 621,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury at work, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) self report.

There has been a downward trend in the fatal injury rates; however recent years have showed that the totals are levelling off. Similarly to this, there has been a consistent downward trend on the LFS until 2010/11; since then the rate has been flat.

What does all this data mean, you ask? It means people are still getting injured – sometimes severely – at work, but if Health and Safety precautions were in place, we would see a drop in these statistics as a result of safer and happier workplaces.

Negative Impact

Even with the statistics standing as they are, some employers around the UK are still choosing to avoid the health and safety protocols which they should be providing for their employees.

Without health and safety, businesses can be negatively impacted. Without the precautions in place, more and more employees are at risk of being injured. If more of the workforce is injured, then fewer employees will be present in work which will ultimately lead to a lacking in productivity and simple tasks will take longer to do. This will also affect the morale of your staff as they will likely feel like they haven’t been looked after by their workplace and their safety is not a priority.

Health and safety affects the business as a whole, not just the lower levels of the hierarchy or certain departments. Right from the start of the business, health and safety needs to be a priority for all.

Options for You

So how can you avoid the negative impact of not having health and safety precautions in place at work? The answer is simple... Train your staff!

Whether you work in a kitchen with food, on a building site with heavy machinery or in a nursery with kids that tire you out every day, there are training options for all of your needs. By attending a training course in your chosen field, you’ll gain a better understanding of your job and be more effective in your day-to-day roles. You’ll know your job inside out, but even more importantly, you’ll know how to stay safe whilst working!

Now, admittedly, in-house courses aren’t for everyone as they can take you away from your daily duties, but in-house courses aren’t your only choice. At imperative we offer a range of courses in different formats all to suit you.

Along with the in-house courses, we also offer E-Learning where your entire course is done from the comfort of your desk and completely online. As well as this, there is also the option of Open Courses where you simply book onto one of our courses in your chosen field and choose a time and place that suits you; finding the perfect course and learning solution for you and your workforce has never been simpler.

I Got Qualified

It’s quite simple to see why some employers decide to overlook health and safety precautions. They take time, which could be spent working and improving the productivity of the company. But when the mishaps have already happened it’s too late to try and implement the precautions.

Health and safety is something that needs to be done from the start and classed as a high priority for ALL businesses, regardless of their sector.

Is your company looking to get qualified? We offer a wide range of courses in various formats to suit a wide variety of companies. If you need more information about the courses we supply, don’t hesitate to get in contact with the imperative team. Call them on 0845 071 0820 or alternatively, Tweet us @imptraining and we’ll assist you as best we can.