STANDARDS & REGULATIONS
BEYOND COMPLIANCE Health and safety has long been viewed as a
necessary part of running a business, yet it’s rarely perceived as something that adds value. Martin Smith, CEO at Alcumus, advises that a positive
health and safety culture can drive fundamental change and a strong return on investment.
An organisation’s culture influences behaviour and performance at work, and so consequently we often see that a poor safety culture can contribute to many work incidents and personal injuries.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), when companies talk about ‘safety culture’ they often refer to the practice of their employees complying with rules, or acting safely. However, HSE and Alcumus find that the commitment and leadership of management is more significant when it comes to the implementation of a positive safety culture. Change must come from - and be retained at - the top. The essence of such a culture is that safety comes before profits and is actively promoted as such. To quote the HSE: “Success normally comes from good leadership, good worker involvement and good communications.”
AVOIDING HSE FINES In February 2016, the Sentencing Council’s definitive guideline on health and safety offences was introduced. These new guidelines have led to a significant increase in fines, which can place a massive burden on the bottom line. Research by legal firm BLM discovered that between 2015 and 2016, the amount of money paid in health and safety fines rose by a staggering 148%. The average penalty was almost £250,000 - four times the average for the previous year.
AVOIDING PROSECUTION Recent prosecutions by the HSE show that legal culpability is being redirected towards board-level. The HSE prosecuted 46 company directors and senior managers between 31st March 2015 and 31st March 2016, compared with 15 in the previous 12-month period. In contrast, the number of
42
employees prosecuted by the HSE dropped from ten in 2014/15 to one in 2015/16. It’s not just individuals in court who pay a heavy price for prosecution; it’s the resulting damage to your corporate reputation too.
REDUCING SICKNESS LEAVE By protecting employees against work-related accidents and ill-health, employers can reduce the potential financial loss caused by sick leave. According to the HSE, 30.4 million working days were lost due to work- related illness and workplace injury in the 2014-15 financial year, with an annual economic cost of £4.8 billion. Work-related stress, depression and anxiety were other significant causes of employee leave last year, with 11.7 million working days lost.
These main advantages are all real benefits of implementing a robust health and safety culture. The focus should be on preventing incidents that hurt the business, its directors, and/ or its margins. But more importantly, a positive and proactive approach to health and safety seeks to protect the company’s most important asset: its people. Fulfilling a positive change in this area shows employees that the business cares about their safety, health and wellbeing. A positive health and safety culture contributes to a happy workforce and a boost in morale, which in turn improves productivity.
The health and safety industry has come a long way, yet the false perception that health and safety does not add value still lingers. Alcumus advocates that creating a positive health and safety culture is essential to proving that health and safety can add tangible commercial benefits.
www.alcumusgroup.com www.tomorrowshs.com
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