The importance of managing health and safety in the workplace

22/08/2017 WebSupport Features, Legal Updates

The general duties upon employers are to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety
of workers in their workplace, and to ensure that nonemployees are not exposed to risks as a result of the way in which the business is run

Observance of health and safety law has never been so important. With firms finding themselves in the firing line and being prosecuted, understanding legal responsibilities and duties is key to both success and commercial survival.

As benign as some might think transport is, the injury and fatality figures for the sector are worrying. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for the transport and storage sector, each year some 3% of workers suffer from an illness they believe to be work-related, 2% sustain a work-related injury, and 14 were fatally injured (2015/16). It’s reckoned that 1.7m working days were lost of which 1m were down to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and workplace injuries.

These accident statistics are staggering, but could be easily reduced with effective management of health and safety and sufficient risk assessments in your business. You may be surprised to read that this approach does not have to be complex or time-consuming in order to be effective, and the commercial benefits of a successful model are vast. Benefits include fewer accidents occurring at work therefore less lost working days, fewer vehicles being off the road for repairs, fewer missed orders, and less time spent in investigation and follow up.[…]

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