The benefits of having health and safety procedures in place

No matter which industry your business is in, occupational health and safety should be a primary concern to ensure that your workforce is protected from injuring themselves as well as visitors to, and clients of, your business. It’s a legal requirement for all employers to provide a work environment that is safe and healthy for employees, customers, suppliers, and other visitors, which is why company health and safety procedures need to be both documented and enforced. Occupational health and safety is a very serious consideration for employers, but what are the benefits of having procedures in place to manage it?

Saving health and safety

Occupational health and safety protects just that: the people’s wellbeing. Whether your employees work in an office environment or in a mine shaft, they need to be made aware of the policies and procedures required to keep them safe on the job. In an office, relatively simple concepts like not overloading single plug points, to removing obstacles from around desks, and ensuring that office furniture is in good working order can go far to not posing risks to employees’ wellbeing, and preventing bodily injuries. In a more risky work environment, employees should be trained to know when and how to wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly, and when to take breaks, and how to avoid accidents to simply protect their personal wellbeing.

Saving productivity

When employees are injured, they will either be absent from work or their productivity levels will drop due to not being able to work as quickly or as efficiently as when they were in 100% health. When employees are injured, their colleagues’ morale may also be affected, which isn’t good for business, no matter which industry you’re in.

Saving profits

Whether your business incurs costs as a direct or indirect result of employee injuries, these events can cut sharply into your profit margins – from productivity losses, to fines and non-compliance penalties, to financial losses through legal fees and workers’ compensation payments. By following occupational health and safety policies and procedures, you can mitigate the risks of these financial losses and ensure that your workforce is financially efficient.

Saving face

If employees and/or clients of a company suffer from injuries or experience a business as an unsafe environment, the company’s reputation and credibility can suffer. A bad reputation is directly linked to lower profitability, and poor client confidence is also bad for business. If, however, you proactively implement and enforce occupational health and safety policies and procedures, it will show in your work environment, there will be fewer injuries and incidents, and you can garner a reputation as a great (and safe) place to work, as well as a great company to do business with.