The Bottom Line Secret Every Business Should Know ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Improve Your Business' Bottom Line by 12. No throwing sweets at the pantomime, banning conkers, no hanging baskets, HSE ban stepladders.
These myths and others like them do not help the image at all. My particular favourite is Trapeze Artists to Wear Safety Helmets, what a picture that conjures up. But Health and Safety also holds a secret no business can afford to ignore.
Implementation costs can be saved at a rate of 12 to 1 just by running a good health and safety management system. A bottom line improvement of 12 times the investment has to at least be investigated if not implemented immediately.
Well, I can feel a lot of eyes rolling in disbelief, so take a trip to the HSE website for proof www.hse.gov.uk/business/casestudy.htm and see the real case studies for yourself.
Still dubious?
Health and safety just slows things down. MYTH, Weve never had an accident, if they or you havent, it is probably more by good luck than good practice.
There are always doubters and those who do not like change, it'll never happen to them, the hospitals are full of them.
A good health and safety management system, saves money by lessening absence rates, lessening staff turnover rates, saves on training new recruits, reduces the chance of insurance claims, and could get you a reduction in insurance premiums. It also improves your business image to clients and staff, working practices and productivity.
An accident investigation alone will probably cost a business around 5000
There are three significant reasons, Moral, Legal and Financial, for business' to implement a good health and safety management system.
Can any business afford to miss out on these potentially large financial cost savings? Especially in these days of the credit crunch and shrinking markets. An practical and efficient health and safety management system can deliver astonishing financial returns.
Health and safety does not have to be restrictive, the headmaster in a school local to my home is very proactive in getting the children to take part in risk/adventure activities as part of their all round education. I recently did some work with them on risk assessment.
Adventure activities like camping, night walking, potholing, paintball with the army, mattress surfing (dont ask) and the climbing wall has been ordered. The pupils also canoe and build rafts to go on the river that borders the school land, in which they also swim.
The girls at St. Trinians would probaly take flight when they take to the hockey field like demons.
I dont think they feel restricted by risk assessment and for a relatively small school they have a disproportionate number of Area and County level sports representatives, in one of Englands largest counties.
Have risk assessments been done? Of course. Are they restrictive? No. They provide sensible guidelines to staff and pupils to manage the risk without wrapping the children in cotton wool.
These activities ignite the childrens imagination, teaches them to manage risks for themselves and builds confidence and a rounded character for life after school. Do the parents object? No, they actively encourage the children to take part.
They wont understand about risk if they're wrapped in cotton wool and they wont have much fun either.
Think of the other benefits to your business if your workforce had the kind of positive can do attitude that the pupils of this school show with the added advantage of saving costs through a good health and safety management system which is progressive not regressive.
Would we have a Great Britain if our ancestors had not taken risks?
Health and safety is cost effective, but it needs to be embraced by and communicated to the whole workforce, these are the criteria that should be used in business. The big stick downwards is much less productive than involving everybody from the grass roots up and valuing their opinion.
Manager Oh yes we have risk assessments
Auditor Where are they?
Manager In that box file on the top shelf Auditor
Have the staff read and understood them? A hush falls on the room.
How common do you think that response is, does it sound familiar? You wont make the cost savings if you dont make the effort to run the system professionally.
Gain the respect of your customers and suppliers, add kudos to your competitive edge not to mention the pro-active productive involvement of the work force. Do it right and pounds can be added to the bottom line of your business.
Even your marketing gurus cant give you a 12 to 1 return on investment, especially in these difficult times when businesses need every penny. So with all this evidence and advantage, give it a go, what have you got to lose?
If you want more proof, go to www.hse.gov.uk/business/casestudy.htm and see for yourself what can be done!
These myths and others like them do not help the image at all. My particular favourite is Trapeze Artists to Wear Safety Helmets, what a picture that conjures up. But Health and Safety also holds a secret no business can afford to ignore.
Implementation costs can be saved at a rate of 12 to 1 just by running a good health and safety management system. A bottom line improvement of 12 times the investment has to at least be investigated if not implemented immediately.
Well, I can feel a lot of eyes rolling in disbelief, so take a trip to the HSE website for proof www.hse.gov.uk/business/casestudy.htm and see the real case studies for yourself.
Still dubious?
Health and safety just slows things down. MYTH, Weve never had an accident, if they or you havent, it is probably more by good luck than good practice.
There are always doubters and those who do not like change, it'll never happen to them, the hospitals are full of them.
A good health and safety management system, saves money by lessening absence rates, lessening staff turnover rates, saves on training new recruits, reduces the chance of insurance claims, and could get you a reduction in insurance premiums. It also improves your business image to clients and staff, working practices and productivity.
An accident investigation alone will probably cost a business around 5000
There are three significant reasons, Moral, Legal and Financial, for business' to implement a good health and safety management system.
Can any business afford to miss out on these potentially large financial cost savings? Especially in these days of the credit crunch and shrinking markets. An practical and efficient health and safety management system can deliver astonishing financial returns.
Health and safety does not have to be restrictive, the headmaster in a school local to my home is very proactive in getting the children to take part in risk/adventure activities as part of their all round education. I recently did some work with them on risk assessment.
Adventure activities like camping, night walking, potholing, paintball with the army, mattress surfing (dont ask) and the climbing wall has been ordered. The pupils also canoe and build rafts to go on the river that borders the school land, in which they also swim.
The girls at St. Trinians would probaly take flight when they take to the hockey field like demons.
I dont think they feel restricted by risk assessment and for a relatively small school they have a disproportionate number of Area and County level sports representatives, in one of Englands largest counties.
Have risk assessments been done? Of course. Are they restrictive? No. They provide sensible guidelines to staff and pupils to manage the risk without wrapping the children in cotton wool.
These activities ignite the childrens imagination, teaches them to manage risks for themselves and builds confidence and a rounded character for life after school. Do the parents object? No, they actively encourage the children to take part.
They wont understand about risk if they're wrapped in cotton wool and they wont have much fun either.
Think of the other benefits to your business if your workforce had the kind of positive can do attitude that the pupils of this school show with the added advantage of saving costs through a good health and safety management system which is progressive not regressive.
Would we have a Great Britain if our ancestors had not taken risks?
Health and safety is cost effective, but it needs to be embraced by and communicated to the whole workforce, these are the criteria that should be used in business. The big stick downwards is much less productive than involving everybody from the grass roots up and valuing their opinion.
Manager Oh yes we have risk assessments
Auditor Where are they?
Manager In that box file on the top shelf Auditor
Have the staff read and understood them? A hush falls on the room.
How common do you think that response is, does it sound familiar? You wont make the cost savings if you dont make the effort to run the system professionally.
Gain the respect of your customers and suppliers, add kudos to your competitive edge not to mention the pro-active productive involvement of the work force. Do it right and pounds can be added to the bottom line of your business.
Even your marketing gurus cant give you a 12 to 1 return on investment, especially in these difficult times when businesses need every penny. So with all this evidence and advantage, give it a go, what have you got to lose?
If you want more proof, go to www.hse.gov.uk/business/casestudy.htm and see for yourself what can be done!
About the Author:
Sean Fowden, the author of this article is an experienced health and safety consultant, who runs his own company for health and consultancy and training, rass ltd. Their web site is full of free advice and free downloads to assist any business. This and other unique content '' articles are available with free reprint rights.
