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  • July 13, 2018

Why Health and Safety at Work Is Important

Whether you are running a busy office or a manufacturing firm, you need to take care of health and safety at work. There are various risks associated with different work processes, and you will have to do everything to prevent accidents and injuries in the interest of your business and your employees. Below you’ll find a few reasons why it might be time to think about risk assessment.

Employee Satisfaction

If your employees know that you care about their health and wellbeing, they will be more committed to your company and the work they are doing. Feeling safe at the workplace is a fundamental right of employees, and increases loyalty. You will have to train your employees to prevent accidents and report risks, so you can carry on growing your business.

Avoiding Legal Challenges

Your business needs to comply with the local or federal government regulations with regards to health and safety. If you don’t comply with the law, you can be challenged by workers’ unions, the government, and individual employees. To protect your business, you will need to make sure that you have policies and training schedules clearly communicated with your employees.

Maintaining Productivity

Accidents at the workplace can cause a loss of productivity. You have to do your best to prevent injuries and put safeguards in place. Check out  Fall Protection Pro to get tips on how to protect the health and wellbeing of your employees. If accidents happen, you will need to close your business while the investigation is taking place, and this will cause a loss of income and profitability. When your employees get injured, they will be off work, and you will have to pay them a compensation, if you are found to be at fault.

Reputation Management

To maintain your business reputation, it is important that you avoid legal challenges, accidents, and negative publicity. This is why you should conduct workstation assessments regularly, so you can adjust computer screens, desks, and chairs to the individual needs of every employee. You should also have a checklist to inspect safety equipment, and test electrical equipment and machinery regularly to avoid accidents.

Business Continuity

If you break the law or one of your employees gets injured at the workplace, chances are that there will be an investigation and your business will be temporarily closed down. If you are found to be guilty of breaking the health and safety law, you will have to pay a penalty, but in more serious cases, your operating license will be withdrawn by the local authority, so you will lose your livelihood. Protect your income and make sure that you have relevant policies and guidelines at the workplace to avoid accidents, injuries, and health problems.

Health and safety at work is not only about ticking the boxes and creating written documents. It should be implemented in the operating manuals, and regular checks and training should be carried out to make sure that you maintain your reputation, profitability, and productivity.