You Can't Afford to Ignore Safety and Health Issues

Too many people adopt the attitude of "It won’t happen to us". According to published statistics, however, accidents happen every day and in every sector.

Insurance can provide a degree of compensation for some of the losses incurred, but by no means all. Being proactive about protecting health, safety and the environment is a much better option by implementing the principle of "prevention is better than cure".

Fatalities

According to HSE figures for 2005-6, in the UK, the number of fatally injured workers decreased by 5% from the previous year, from 223 to 212.

That is excellent news for the 21 people who might have died but survived because of improving safety and health. However, it was still tragic for 212 people who did lose their lives, and devastating for their families.

We can take some comfort from the progress that has been made but we cannot afford to be complacent. There is still far more to be done.

In addition, there are other problems for employers who choose to disregard their responsibilities toward their employees.

Sickness Absence

Everyone suffers with illness from time to time and may need to take time off work.

Across the UK, the estimated cost of sickness absence exceeds £12bn, which equates to nearly £500 in direct costs for every worker employed. A substantial proportion of this can be avoided if adequate measures are in place to safeguard safety and health.

Criminal Prosecutions

Prosecutions under safety and health law are not uncommon. Every month in our newsletter we select a recent case from the UK to illustrate the importance of good safety and health arrangements.

If your organisation finds itself in court, it could result in substantial fines and possibly even custodial sentences for directors, managers and employees. On top of that there is all the bad publicity that inevitably follows.

Compensation Claims

There are also compensation claims brought by injured people. The result can be substantial payouts, increased insurance premiums and serious damage to your business reputation.

Considering the severe consequences when things go wrong, it is easy to see the benefits of being proactive.

Call EDP on +65 64109226 so that we can help you to avoid these unpleasant consequences. The work we do frequently identifies areas of substantial savings so that the initial investment can pay handsome dividends in many ways.