No matter the type of business, risks to the safety of your employees and visitors will always be present. Some people overlook these risks because they feel as though they don’t warrant attention. When taking this approach, many business owners quickly find themselves exposed to liabilities that can impact their profitability in a negative way.
If you want to avoid that problem, then it’s important to implement health and safety training in the workspace so that your employees can stay out of danger. Companies around the world are starting to understand the importance of workplace safety. In fact, in the USA it’s common for businesses to designate a health and safety manager, who often gets paid around 80.000 USD per year. When you implement a health and safety training program, you can protect your business from lawsuits and other dangers that could cause you to fail.
Lawsuits
All businesses are responsible for ensuring the safety and health of their staff. When an employee gets injured on the job, you are exposing yourself to a potential lawsuit. It can be expensive to fight a legal battle, and losing can be that much more costly. But getting into a legal conflict over workplace safety can have an even more significant impact on your success: damage to your reputation.
If a workplace injury gets exposed to the public, then you might start losing customers, but people will also be less likely to work for you if they fear for their safety. A good health and safety training program will help you avoid this situation.
Productivity
The success of your business depends on the productivity of your team, and when they work with greater efficiency, you will enjoy enhanced profitability. A workplace injury can prevent your best employees from doing their job until they heal, which could take weeks or months. But when someone gets hurt on the job, it can decrease your team’s morale, serving to lower their productivity even more. To protect their own safety, members of your staff might avoid certain tasks or decide to resign.
Getting your team to work at their best requires you to look out for their safety at all times. An effective training and safety program can help your team avoid dangerous situations so that they don’t need to take additional time off. When your team realizes that you care about them and their well-being, their morale and productivity will start to rise.
Insurance Discounts
Insurance can be a significant expense for your business, and your rates are calculated based on how likely you are to file a claim. If you take steps to protect the health and safety of your workforce, then you might be eligible to receive a discount on your premium. Each step you take to increase the safety and to protect the health of those who work for you encourages insurance companies to view you in a positive way.
If you are curious about the benefits and discounts for which you could be entitled, call your insurance agent and ask them. They will likely be happy to work with you in creating an effective workplace health and safety program.
Getting Started
If you are ready to start enjoying the benefits of a health and safety program, then you might be wondering how to get started. First, take a look around your workplace and make a list of the most common threats, but that is not enough on its own. Review your past incident reports and take steps to reduce the odds of repeating past mistakes. Some common things to consider are how to handle chemicals, how to use knives safely and how to lift heavy objects. But each workplace will be different and require a unique approach.
Once you have identified the most common threats, find ways to avoid them and create a course. Have each employee sign a paper confirming that they have completed the lesson.
About Jim Raychrudhury:
Jim Raychrudhury is a freelance writer and passionate blogger who likes writing articles that cover business, career and lifestyle related topics. He has written numerous articles and contributed to several other blogs. When he is not writing, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his family.
