Health and safety should be one of an employer's main concerns when setting up a business. This applies to those working on construction sites, in retail spaces, or even in an office. Last year, there were more than 1.8 million work-related illnesses and many of these may have been caused by health and safety violations.
Your health and safety policy should begin with a risk assessment of your facilities. This will help you find all of the hazards and then you can put a plan in place to fix the risks. Common risks you may pick up on during this include tripping hazards, ergonomic injuries caused by bad furniture, or even eye strain for those working on computers all day. These, however, can all be mitigated following a full risk assessment, so your employees can feel safe in your workplace.
There are many benefits to keeping your staff injury-free too which we will discuss in detail. Health and safety shouldn't be looked over at any time, so make the necessary changes and enjoy the following benefits.
More productivity
With fewer health and safety issues to worry about, staff can focus more on the work at hand which will keep them more productive. What's more, in jobs where walking around the workplace is necessary, they'll be able to get around faster with fewer hazards in the way.Fewer sickness absences
Full-time workers are usually off sick for 2% of the year according to the most recent data. However, this number could be far higher if the conditions of the workplace lead to stress, illness, or even physical injury. A safer workplace will keep your staff working for longer which will improve the efficiency of processes all year round.Employees are more trusting of the company
Trust is important in any business and proving that you care about employee wellbeing will go a long way. Provide ample examples of health and safety measures such as signage in case of a fire, appoint first-aid trained staff and make sure all wires are out of the way to reduce the risk of trips. This trust will never pass onto your workers who will now value you more and, therefore, work harder for you which will help to boost productivity and potential profits.You're less likely to have to face legal issues
Injuries in the workplace may be neglectful which means workers may be able to bring a claim to you and get compensation for an injury caused in your workplace. That's why keeping your health and safety airtight is a must to prevent any large payouts crippling your business financially.Better image for the company
Although protecting employees from harm is the primary reason for these measures to take place, one of the other benefits is an improvement in your company's image. This will help to secure more work from clients and when the time comes to hire new staff, they'll be aware of the great care you take of your employees. On top of attracting new staff members, you'll also be able to retain your best workers too. This will allow you to build your dream team of workers who can propel your business into a successful future.
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General Health
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Health and Safety
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