Keeping up to date with health and safety requirements can seem like a time consuming and costly process for your business, particularly for those smaller companies that don’t have a dedicated health and safety department.
But the real costs occur when a company isn’t up to date with health and safety processes and legislation, and they are caught out when they are unable to defend a potential claim against them.
Luis Fernandez, Risk Manager at Belmont International, explains: “Many businesses are just scratching the surface when it comes to their health and safety management and processes. Most of the time their efforts are wasted because the processes they’re taking part in aren’t being properly documented.”
This in turn means that you are unprepared for any necessary defence of your practices. If a claim is made against you and the HSE is required to come in to investigate, any defence is thrown out if the correct paperwork isn’t in place and the claim is lost.
Luis continues: “Many companies, particularly SMEs, are put off by the perceived cost of maintaining their health and safety systems. They mistakenly think that it can’t be done cost effectively, but this lack of understanding and awareness actually means that they are not up to speed with their legal requirements, and this downward spiral continues.”
With the right expert guidance and support, you can cost effectively ensure that all appropriate health and safety requirements are in place for your business, and that you are fully compliant with health and safety legislation. An expert health and safety consultant, like Belmont, is fully up to date with all business health and safety requirements. Your business can quickly and effectively be assessed, and full recommendations made.
It’s a legal requirement to have a ‘competent person’ at your place of work who is responsible for overseeing that health and safety processes are carried out effectively. But some companies make the mistake of thinking that it’s purely a box ticking exercise, and that the named person is just a representative. In fact, it’s essential that this person is completely up to date with, and has full knowledge of, all relevant health and safety requirements.
Luis continues: “The ‘competent person’ doesn’t have to be an internal member of staff, and there are specialist companies, such as Belmont, that offers the service of acting as a company’s ‘competent person’.”
Belmont advises that health and safety and man management should go hand in hand. Luis says: “Providing a safe working environment is essential, not only morally and legally, but also in order to minimise the risk of potential staff absences through long term sickness.”
Absences resulting in long term sickness costs UK Businesses £12 billion each year. * Long-term staff absences can have devastating effects on the performance of your business, as well as the health and well-being of your remaining employees. For smaller businesses, having even one member of staff off work long term can have a very noticeable and negative effect on work loads and productivity.
The benefits of maintaining a healthy working environment include:
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Improved business performance;
- Retention of valued staff;
- Safe and healthy workplaces;
- Better workplace relations.