FEATURE
SURPRISING REALITIES
Alex Wilkins, Head of Business Development at iHASCO, explores the true cost of slips, trips and fall to your workplace?
Accidents at work happen all the time and slips, trips and falls continue to be one of the most common causes of injuries. Whether your workers are in the office or in a busy industrial environment, managing hazards is vital to ensure everyone’s safety. Workplace injuries can have many negative repercussions, from disrupted daily operations and reduced morale to the financial costs of workers’ compensation claims.
UNDERSTAND THE HAZARDS The best way to find out what the risks are in your organisation is by discussing the issue with staff and performing a risk assessment. It is a legal requirement that you carry these out as everyone, from your staff to visitors, must be able to move around the workplace safely. Start off by observing the tasks carried out by your employees to understand how they need to get around and consider various scenarios, such as maintenance, cleaning or even equipment malfunctions.
You should also check your accident and ill-health records, read instructions supplied with your workplace tools and equipment and, if relevant, check the safety data sheets for hazardous substances. This will help you identify hazards such as objects obstructing walkways, floor irregularities, loose or wrinkled rugs, inadequate lighting, unprotected edges, and pollution.
Remember to also consider factors seemingly out of your control, such as how changing weather conditions can affect different areas on your premises or the surface roughness of pedestrian walkways. Similarly, ensure that your employees are encouraged to wear suitable footwear to prevent the risk of slipping.
Once you have more insight, you can start putting in place the necessary safety precautions. There are of course endless ways to reduce the risks of slips, trips and falls. You should think about maintaining good housekeeping and organisation of tools and
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equipment; using safety signage and floor marking to guide workers through the workspace and warn of potential hazards; investing in slip resistant flooring; keeping cleaning products on-hand to help clean up areas where spills have occurred; and ensuring that pathways and exits are visible and well lit.
ADDING THE COSTS Workplace injuries led to more than 3.9m days lost in 2018, causing a dramatic reduction in productivity. However, a decline productivity is not the only avoidable potential cost to your business.
Failure to comply with safety standards can and will result in fines. This combined with the obligation for the company to pay the injured worker’s statutory sick pay will have a noticeable impact on profits.
It is also often the case that the absent worker will need to be covered for. This extra workload has the potential to lead to other employees being overworked, which could lead to further absence, and so the cycle continues.
A SIMPLE SOLUTION The good news is that costly accidents can often be avoided. By offering high-quality online training, you can significantly reduce the risk of a severe trip, slip or fall in your workplace. When selecting your provider, make sure they provide IOSH Approved & CPD Accredited training which educates employees and employers on awareness, prevention, and personal responsibility when it comes to slips, trips and falls.
This will help you and your staff understand how to implement appropriate safety strategies across the business. The resulting improvements to workplace safety will not only help to save you money, but it can also help you work towards compliance with any current and upcoming health and safety legislation.
www.ihasco.co.uk https://www.ihasco.co.uk/courses/detail/slips-trips-and-falls?utm_source=ths&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=slipstripsfalls www.tomorrowshs.com
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