Everyone has a right to be safe at work. However, while we know that we need to try to protect our workers, we can sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. Workplace health and safety is more than a one-off task; it is an ongoing commitment to building a safety culture. Fortunately, though, committing to safety can be one of the best decisions a company makes, positively impacting a company's workers and its bottom line. If you need any more motivation to get your health and safety act together, here are ten reasons why it's so important:
1. Minimise the Risk of Injury or Illness
Workplace health and safety is first and foremost about minimising the risk of injury and illness and keeping everyone safe. By avoiding workplace accidents or at least reducing their frequency, you will have fewer expenses and more profit for the business.
2. Reduce Public Liability Claims
If someone is injured or their property is damaged as a result of your company's work activities, you may become liable for costs. Injured workers, or even members of the public, may be able to make compensation claims against your company.
3. Enhance Employee Productivity
By showing your workers that you care about their wellbeing, they are much more likely to be engaged in both their work and your safety initiatives. An effective safety program can work towards creating a safety culture, where morale is boosted, and everyone is working towards a common safety goal.
4. Meet Your WHS Responsibilities
Every business has legal obligations, a duty of care to its workers, to do everything that is reasonably practicable to ensure their health and safety. While you can never guarantee no harm will occur, by proactively managing workplace health and safety and striving for compliance, you reduce the risk and your liability.
5. Retain Your Workforce
If your workers are injured, at best they will be off for a few days, and you'll have to manage without them. They could be off for a lot longer, though, meaning you'll have to recruit and retrain replacements. Meanwhile, you will have to deal with the costs of not only absent workers but the compensation claims that may follow.
6. Improve Your Performance
By effectively managing workplace safety, you will implement systems, processes and procedures for handling all safety-related matters. While this may sound like a lot of work, it actually makes you much more efficient. You will respond to hazards in the right way, report on incidents consistently and reduce the associated costs.
7. Boost Efficiency
By taking the time and effort to care about workplace safety, you can gain efficiencies across the board. Everything from reducing the occurrence of incidents, to minimising absences and boosting staff morale can have a significant impact on your company's bottom line.
8. Improve Your Reputation
Safety management demonstrates to your employees, contractors, suppliers, and the general public that you care. By caring you are demonstrating social good and showing that you value the physical, social and mental well being of your workers. So, as well as improving your relationship with your workers, it helps you to build trust with your customers.
9. Secure Finance
Finding the investment you need for your next project isn't always simple. However, it becomes easier if you can demonstrate that your company is well-managed. With fewer incidents and clear safety processes, you will improve your bottom line and win more investments.
10. Grow Your Business
Driving workplace health and safety results in so much more than achieving your safety goals. It can help you achieve many economic, legal and social benefits. By having a business that cares about its workers, you will be trusted and respected and have the potential to grow in a sustainable and profitable way.
Workplace safety is vital to every organisation and every industry. And, while it keeps our workers safe, it does so much more to help our company prosper. Ultimately, by putting safety first, you are putting your business first as well as your workers.
