40 . Glasgow Business March/April 2014


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>Continued from page 38 “Experience shows that an effective


response comprises a broad range of components, a priority being a Mental Health Policy. Tis is best served by describing a company’s atitude to mental health within the workforce. “We know that encouraging employees to


declare problems at an early stage, and supporting them to seek help, significantly increases the likelihood of a quicker recovery and reduces absence costs. “A head-in-the-sand response is not


uncommon because of the perceived complexity of dealing with mental health in the workplace but be assured that uncomplicated and cost effective in-house solutions are readily available.” While it’s worth focusing on the mind,


there is another body part that needs extra special care – the eyes. Medical science can replace a lot of things but, when your eyes are gone, they are gone forever. David Smith, Health and Safety Manager


for Team Contract Services, says a common misconception by people is that your eye glasses will provide protection. He said: “Protecting your eyes in the


workplace is of the utmost importance. A mistake people oſten make though is thinking their everyday glasses will provide protection, but they won’t. Your reading glasses, for example, won’t stop a flying piece of metal or a spark from connecting with your eye, so safety


“A mistake people often make though is thinking their everyday glasses will provide protection, but they won’t”


glasses must always be worn. Just recently I was walking past a contractor who was drilling using a still-saw. Tere were sparks coming from the machinery and he was only wearing his prescription glasses. I had to stop him because, from a health and safety point of view, he was in danger. When I spoke to him, he thought his glasses were sufficient, but I had to advise him that he needed to wear safety glasses.” Now that you’re aware of some


of the potential hazards faced in the workplace, the question that remains is why do they continue to happen and what should you do? Sharon Currie, Healthy


Working Lives Advisor for NHS Health Scotland, offers advice. She said: “Health and Safety


law isn’t new. Ignorance of the law isn’t a defence, but it also doesn’t have to be complicated. Tere is plenty of free help and advice on


the regulator’s (HSE) website and Healthy Working Lives is designed specifically to offer free advice and support to employers and their employees. “Results of investigation of incident/


accidents rarely find the root cause was as a result of a ‘fluke’ event. Human error and/or poor management are oſten the culprits. “Te key to minimising workplace


accidents/incidents is understanding the hazards and risks that individuals are exposed to as part of their work activities. While it may sound dull, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is a legal requirement and provides a standard mechanism to think through the process. “For larger organisations, there is an


acceptance and understanding of their legal requirements and generally there is an infrastructure to facilitate and delegate health and safety responsibilities to ensure the implementation of effective policies and protocols borne from risk assessment.” Health and safety legislation does


impose requirements upon employers and failing to comply will result in investigation and potentially prosecution. Tis can undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on a business in more ways than one. Free guidance is readily available but, for more specific requirements, seek professional support. Are you complying? Can you


afford not to be?


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