Good Health and Safety: The Benefits and Costs

Benefits of good health and safety

Addressing good health and safety should not be seen as a regulatory burden, because it offers significant opportunities – benefits can include:

• Reduced costs.
• Reduced risks.
• Lower employee absence and turnover rates.
• Fewer accidents.
• A lessened threat of legal action
• Improved standing among suppliers and partners.
• Better reputation for corporate responsibility among investors, customers and communities.
• Increased productivity.

Costs of poor health and safety at work

HSE statistics reveal the human and financial cost of failing to address health and safety:

• Poor health and safety culture can kill up to 200 people at work in the United Kingdom each year. Additionally, this does not include work-related road deaths.
• In 2006, 30 million working days were lost in the UK to occupational ill health and injury. This imposed an annual cost to society of £30bn (more than 3% of GDP).
• Surveys show that about two million people suffer from an illness that they believe is because of work.
• Occupational illnesses kill thousands each year. Illnesses also include some cancers and respiratory diseases.

Organisations can incur further costs, such as uninsured losses and loss of reputation.

Courses that help promote good health and safety

There are many health and safety courses available that can enhance your skills and help you to become compliant with health and safety laws and legistlation. Let’s explore what courses can help promote good health and safety.

CITB Health and Safety Awareness

This one-day course provides an essential introduction to health and safety. The Health and Safety Awareness course (HSA) is designed for those who work in construction or civil engineering. It helps you recognise various potential hazards in the workplace so they don’t go unnoticed and lead to accidents or injuries.

As well as boosting health and safety practices in the workplace, this course is fully certified by CITB and gains you an accreditation, which is valid for five years. This course is popular amongst those in construction, as this course is the minimum requirement towards gaining a CSCS Green Labourer Card.

IOSH Managing Safely®

This IOSH Managing Safely training course is specifically towards individuals who manage health and safety in the workplace. This comprehensive health and safety course spans four days and covers eight modules, providing in-depth knowledge on health and safety topics.

The skills gained from this course are transferable and can be applied to any industry. This course is one of the top health and safety courses and is well-respected due to being accredited by IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health).

IOSH Leading Safely

Another popular course from IOSH is the IOSH Leading Safety, which, similar to the Managing Safely,  is a comprehensive health and safety course but is suitable for industry leaders. This course advises tyu how to correctly implement health and safety practices to keep your businesses safe and protected.

This course is just a one-day course, provides a concise yet effective overview of health and safety responsibilities without taking too much time away from your day-to-day responsibilities.