NEWS REpoRt UNcoVERs hIddEN cost oF woRkplAcE AccIdENts


workplace, a new report suggests. While accidents that cause injuries,


O


absences, compensation claims and fines are known to be costly, employers are not always aware that a poor safety culture can also impact staff morale, productivity and turnover – and ultimately their bottom line. Seton’s new report highlights the benefits of


prioritising employee safety, with insights from experts in personal injury law and HR. Across the UK, almost


700,000 people suffered a non-fatal workplace injury in 2019/20, while 142 were killed in 2020/21, according to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive). This is clearly devastating for workers and their families but it also comes at a cost £5.6billion per year to individuals, employers and the government –


or around £1.7million per fatal injury and £8,800 per non-fatal injury. However, Alex Hinton, a product innovation


manager at Seton, believes this is just the tip of the iceberg. “All employers have a legal obligation to protect their staff from harm but it’s more than a tick-box exercise,” he said. “They need to create a safety culture, where


everyone can perform their duties confident that they won’t be exposed to unnecessary risks. “Choosing the right safety equipment is


key. Barriers, for example, are a visible sign that organisations take their obligations


rganisations may be unwittingly paying the price for poor health and safety practices in the


seriously – but it’s important to choose ones that are easy to use and won’t leave staff feeling frustrated or worse still, reluctant to deploy them when needed. “Employees who understand and consistently


follow best practice are more likely to perform well and take fewer risks. Similarly, someone who is engaged with company life is more inclined to follow health and safety rules, which is why we’d urge health and safety teams to work closely with their HR teams to communicate relevant messages.” His comments were echoed by HR consultant Jacqui Adams, of Tick HR, who also contributed to the report. She said: “Given employee expectations


around health and safety, any organisation that falls short of the mark is likely to experience high turnover – which affects their bottom line. As well as the cost of replacing someone, they’ll also see skills, knowledge and experience


walk out the door, which impacts productivity. “HR and health and safety have many


crossovers and best practice and engagement happens when the two teams work together to achieve the required outcomes. “I’ve seen both health and safety teams


and management view health and safety simply as a form-filling and box-checking exercise. It meant employees then saw health and safety as a ‘nuisance’ and paid little attention to the communications, which wasn’t in anyone’s best interests.”


seton www.seton.co.uk


The FLX app works in two ways, tÜV sÜd lAUNchEs AcAdEmY to optImIsE Uk INdUstRY complIANcE T


ÜV SÜD has launched its Academy to help UK organisations cost effectively upskill their employees to optimise business


performance, improve product compliance efficiency and minimise time to market. Part of a global training programme, TÜV


SÜD Academy will offer more than 60 knowledge transfer courses to individuals and entire organisations. A mix of instructor-led workshops and e-learning courses will aim to maximise flexibility for how and where businesses want their people to learn. David Goodfellow, head of Business


Assurance at TÜV SÜD, said: “The experts in


our global business have such a wealth of experience. UK organisations can now access that knowledge through TÜV SÜD Academy to help them increase business efficiency at multiple levels. We are dedicated to helping people and organisations drive business performance to levels of excellence, without compromising on costs efficiency or time to market. The TÜV SÜD Academy enables us to extend that mission through direct knowledge transfer into UK industry.”


tÜV sÜd www.tuvsud.com/en-gb/services/training


6 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | INdUstRIAl complIANcE


accelerating the process of recovery, and preventing injury by detecting and correcting biomechanical issues. For example, during a three-month trial conducted with the South Yorkshire Police Force, MSDs were reduced by 64 per cent and the rate of absenteeism due to MSDs was reduced from 43 to 18 days per month. This trial amongst 237 police workers, resulted in savings of £65,000 a year. When scaled across all staff within the Force, the calculated savings could reach £1.4m a year. In a similar trial with 480 workers at Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, days lost due to low level back pain reduced by 52 per cent. The FLX app is available via subscription on


mobile devices. Users can opt to use the Pain Programme to aid existing problems through corrective exercises and self-management advice or the Biomechanics Programme to help prevent future pain and injuries. The app uses clinically proven algorithms developed over 15 years to identify an individual’s biomechanical profile through a series of screening tests to suggest a course of personalised physiotherapy exercises. The app learns and adjusts the programme to address users’ continuously evolving biomechanical needs.


Arco www.arco.co.uk


ARco pARtNERs wIth FlX hEAlth to lAUNch FlX phYsIo App


A


rco has announced an exciting partnership with FLX Health, to become the exclusive UK reseller of the FLX app,


a targeted physiotherapy app that works to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace and rehabilitate employees more quickly when they arise. MSDs are a leading cause of occupational


ill health in Great Britain, accounting for 30 per cent of all work-related ill health cases and 27 per cent of lost working days. Affecting 14.9 million people nationally, MSDs cost the NHS over £5 billion per-year for treatment and support. As a growing issue that exists in many work environments, the FLX app empowers individuals to self-manage low grade pain and injuries through behavioural change and correcting biomechanical function, reducing the need for face-to-face and online physiotherapy appointments. The FLX app will also help employers boost productivity, reduce sick days and keep their workforce healthy, happy and active.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46