Failing to manage your OHS is never acceptable. If you are found to be putting your employees at risk from ill health or injury you will end up having the Health and Safety Executive on your backs. There are no excuses for failing to maintain a strong health and safety policy in your organisation. As soon as you decide to take on employers you really have to ensure you have the skills and the knowledge to follow the laws and protect those who come on board to work with you. Even if you are self-employed there are regulations to follow, it’s an area you cannot afford to ignore.
What Do I need to do?
Occupational health and safety involves many different elements. One of the Regulations is stated in the Health and Safety at Work Act and it says that all employers have to do everything that is reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of each employee. To do this you have to follow multiple guidelines and Regulations such as performing risk assessments, creating safe systems of work, offering first aid facilities and conducting fire risk assessments.
Is Your Workplace Really Safe?
You may think that your work activities and the premises are safe, but there are dangers found everywhere and these have to be managed. Even office work involves risks to health. Office workers can suffer from occupational stress, have injuries from working at a workstation or health problems caused by looking at a monitor all day. There are risks of items falling, slips and trips, fire risks and more. Although this type of work is a lot safer than construction it is still important to comply with legislation and do everything you can to keep each worker safe.
What Happens if You Fail to Manage Your OHS Effectively?
The Health and Safety Executive will prosecute any company or employer who they find to be in breach of the law. There are occasions where Notices will be handed out and these provide the employer time to make the necessary adjustments. However, in many cases the breaches will lead to prosecution and a court appearance. If you plead guilty or are found guilty by the judge you will be fined, have court costs to pay and may have other costs such as the fees for intervention. In the most serious cases a custodial sentence may be given.
Moral Duties
As an employer you would have to live with the fact that failing to meet health and safety laws led to one of your workers being injured or even killed. It’s simply not worth the risk to ignore your legal and moral duties. Financial issues aside you must think about the guilt you would feel knowing that an accident could have been avoided with some simple OHS management in place.
If you are concerned about the state of your health and safety and wish to learn more about your duties it is worth signing up for some training. There are many courses available, suitable for business owners, the self-employed as well as managers and supervisors. Why take risks when it is so easy to pick up the skills you need? It’s not a complicated business, providing you are aware of the legislation, are able to work with the guidelines and know how to implement health and safety procedures in your workplace you can enjoy providing an excellent and safe place to work to all of your employees.
Are you aware of the OHS legislation? Don’t risk lives or your business; learn the skills you need on a suitable occupational health and safety training course.