Staff feel recession is making employers cut corners on health and safety
David Woods, 18 February 2009
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1 comment on this article.More than six out of 10 employees (62%) think their employer is placing less emphasis on health and safety as a result of the recession.
The National Accident Helpline reports only 38% think their employer remains as committed to health and safety as ever.
These findings come just days after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found 34 million days every year are lost due to injuries or illnesses caused by work.
John Campbell, legal director at the National Accident Helpline, said: "Investing time and money to make your workplace as safe as possible may seem less important due to a recession, but these figures show there is a financial incentive to do so.
"Cutting corners on health and safety is a false economy as there will be costs to the business through lost man hours and sick pay. This could cost the business more in the long run."
For more information see the March issue of HR magazine, due to land on desks on 2 March.
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Stuart Field - 19 February 2009
JUST ONE ACCIDENTCOULD PUT YOU OUT OF BUSINESS! Cutting corners is not an option in the current climate,the risk of fines from the HSE and claims from employees means your insurance premiums could go up as a result.
The changes to the Health and Safety regulations effective from January 16th this year mean that companies can be fined up to £20,000 per offence at a lower court, and more at a higher court
To ride the credit crunch, Companies need to be more efficient, efficiency in Health and Safety is a key corner stone to this, therfore robust H&S procedures policies and systems are required which include training employees and having a competent workforce.
A full gap analysis is a good starting point for any business wanting to ensure they are compliant with current legal requirements providing a safe working environment for employees
Stuart Field Health and Safety Manager Northgatearinso Employer Services
www.northgatearinsoemployerservices.com
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