There are many important issues that come with running a business. One thing your business must take seriously is health and safety. Many people think health & safety is simply putting down a wet floor sign after you’ve washed it. But, it’s much more than that, it’s making sure your workplace is suitable for people to work in, without getting hurt or sick.
Why should your business take this seriously? What’s the worst that could happen if you don’t? Here are three reasons why your business needs to pay close attention to health and safety:
Legal Issues
The main reason your business should take health and safety seriously is because of the legal issues surrounding it. Every business must abide by certain rules and regulations. If your business isn’t up to scratch, you could get shut down.
At some stage during the year, your premises will be viewed by a health and safety inspector. They will check that everything is how it should be and that there is no risks present. They’ll then grade you based on your performance. If they’re happy with what they see, you’ll get a passing grade. If they’re not happy, you will fail, and your business could get shut down. Sometimes a business is closed down temporarily until they get things up to the right standard. Other times, the risks could be so severe that they’re shut down permanently.
To ensure you pass a safety inspection, read all the rules and legalities surrounding workplace health and safety. Make sure you abide by them, and things will be okay.
Injury Compensation
Another reason your business needs to be aware of health and safety is because of injury compensation. Attorneys Fraulob, Brown & Gowen say that if someone gets injured at work, they’re entitled to compensation. It doesn’t even matter who was at fault. So, if you have an unsafe workplace, it can be easy for people to get into accidents. A higher risk of accidents means a higher risk of injury. If more people are getting injured, you’ll be paying out loads in compensation.
You have to make sure you have the correct health and safety procedures in place. Your business must provide a safe working environment for your employees. Without one, you run the risk of workplace injuries that lead to injury compensation. Of course, this can be a great financial issue for your business.
Business Productivity
The final reason is one that you may not have thought about. The healthy and safety of your business can have a direct effect on productivity. If there are no health and safety issues, then productivity will be fairly high. But, if you have issues, they can become distractions. Say you have asbestos in your ceilings, this can make people ill, and they’ll have time off work. So, you’ll be losing some of your workforce. Similarly, health and safety issues can become a distraction to workers. It’s harder to work properly when you don’t feel 100% safe in the workplace.
If you take health and safety seriously, there will be fewer distractions at work. It will mean your employees become more productive, which will benefit your business on the whole.
