How seriously do you take health and safety in your business? For many smaller companies and startups, it’s not even on the radar.
The trouble is, you have legal obligations to look after your employees and any visitors to your business. In simple terms, if there is an incident, you are going to be liable.
Legal issues aside, however, there are some other benefits of focussing on a robust health and safety policy.
We’re going to look at five of the biggest reasons why it should be high on your list of priorities.
Protection from the law
Want to know how serious the law takes health and safety? You’ll soon find out if you pay it no regard. Company owners and directors could end up in prison under the right circumstances.
Accidents happen, of course. But, unless you employees have the proper training and understanding, it all falls on your shoulders. According to the HJA legal team, you need to cover yourself from a broad variety of situations. Make sure you get advice from personal injury solicitors to ensure you have all your legal bases covered.
A healthier team
Employees who know how to avoid accidents tend to have less of them – it’s that simple. Yes, they might find learning how to pick up a heavy box once or twice a year boring, but they won’t forget.
And, with fewer accidents occurring in the workplace, it makes for a healthier environment with lower cases of absence.
Cheaper insurance
Businesses can pay out a lot of money for protection from insurance companies. But, a robust health and safety policy can help you reduce those costs by a significant amount.
If you can prove to your insurers that you run a safe workplace, you will be seen as less of a risk. And, that ultimately means lower premiums.
For example, about workers compensation in California, there are specific kind of insurances, from different companies. You just need to research and pick the right one.
More productive environment
When people feel safe, they can focus on their work. It sounds like an obvious point, yet there are still plenty of firms out there that fail to understand. If you want healthy, happy, and motivated employees, look long and hard at your H&S policy.
A safe and healthy workplace is also a big draw for prospective employees. If you are looking to raise the quality of your team, then a good health and safety plan can help attract higher quality candidates.
A better reputation
Good health and safety plans can also benefit your reputation in a big way. Corporate responsibility is a huge issue these days, as more businesses and consumers choose who they want to work with.
The media are also interested in a big way, and local and national newspapers will write about any incident if an employer is at fault. If your company is unsafe in any way, you can bet others will hear about it. Put in a lot of effort, though, and there’s every chance your company will get its rewards and recognition.
As you can see, there are many reasons to embrace a more robust health and safety policy. Don’t miss out on these key business opportunities – and the protection it affords you.
