Top 6 Reasons Health and Safety should be One of Your Business Priorities for 2018

Safety People has been recruiting Health and Safety professionals for more than 15 years. We know that the experienced professionals and contractors we have placed, play an important role. Statistics demonstrate that fatalities in the workplace have declined in 2017. These same statistics suggest that workplace injury and illness cost the Australian economy more than $61 Billion per annum.

Despite that staggering figure, competing business priorities mean staffing budgets can sometimes be squeezed in this important space.
So here are 6 reminders of why a focus on your Health and Safety Team should be among your Business Priorities for 2018

1. They help Improve Productivity
A well designed and safe workplace means that your employees are performing their roles unencumbered. They can move about freely without obstacles. They can lift and carry safely and have all of the necessary equipment to keep themselves safe whilst performing their role.
Your team also understands that they are an important asset to your company because they can tell you are looking out for them.

2. They Contribute to Staff Engagement
A good workplace health and safety program ensures there is capacity for employee feedback. This ensures your employees can report back to you how you are performing. They should be encouraged to speak up about any safety concerns. This two-way communication helps them feel valued and keeps them safe!
You could also consider rewarding staff that notify management of hazards and concerns. If your staff are seeing that such behaviour is rewarded they are more likely to pay attention.

3. They help Reduce Insurance Claims and Premium Costs
The cost to business of governance and insurance coverage can feel onerous. Your Health and Safety team help minimise these costs. They eliminate hazards and develop and enforce your safety plan. They help ensure your staff are trained correctly on health and safety issues. Some insurers will offer you discounts based on training you have provided. A good example of this is defensive driving training for drivers.

4. They Reduce Absenteeism
Your Health and Safety team reduce staff absenteeism because they make sure all of your bases are covered. Not just physical safety but also programs that contribute to your employee’s mental health and overall wellness. Are your employees feeling burned out or stressed? Such things have an impact on your staff retention and absenteeism rates.

5. They Reduce the Time Business is Interrupted by Injury or Illness
Your team is trained to leap into action when an incident or accident occurs. They know who to call, what form to complete and which incidents are reportable. They are an incident response team ready to go. This helps reduce the time it takes to get back to business as usual for the rest of your workplace.
Your Health and Safety Team are experts in their field. They understand regulatory reporting and best practice responses to incidents.

6. They help you send people home to their lives at the end of the workday
Let’s face it, this is the most important reason. In a perfect world, there would be no workplace fatalities, illness or injury. We particularly love a business that has a Zero harm policy!

And candidates – study the above points carefully.  Anyone of them makes an excellent answer to the interview question “Why is Health and Safety important in the Workplace?”

If you are seeking a Health and Safety professional for your organisation to focus on this area in 2018 then Arnold Group can help. We have developed a strong reputation for providing quality recruitment services. We focus on the niche fields of Safety, Insurance and Risk. We invite you to follow our LinkedIn Company page to see available roles and industry news.