September: Can Safety ever really pay?
September 30th 2009 A new report from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) suggests more needs to be done to raise awareness of the economic benefits of having a strong occupational health and safety policy, particularly for SMEs. Most businesses know that a serious accident at work could cost them dear but, smaller businesses may see the chances of this as remote and dismiss the idea that health and safety can make a difference to the bottom line as wishful thinking.
Good Health and Safety is Good Business has been an HSE campaign for some time now, HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger reiterated the importance of getting this message across in his column in HSM just last month. There is a growing body of evidence to support the message, examples the HSE cites include: Reduced insurance premiums – in some cases the implementation of good health and safety has resulted in premiums being halved; improved productivity and efficiency; lower staff absence; lower staff turnover; and improved quality of work are also examples where financial gains can be made. But despite this evidence EU OSHA’s report found compliance with government guidelines, regulations and laws are still the primary focus of health and safety policies in many SMEs.
One industry where the economic benefits of safety are being realised more than most is in the manufacturing industry where growing appreciation for the concept of functional safety is changing the overall approach. The concept underpins the new (recently delayed) standards that are being introduced to ensure compliance with the new Machinery Directive. This requires machine builders to consider the full safety function of a machine from its design stage so that users and operators can expect a safer machine. Put simply, the expectation is that the safest way of doing something should also be the most productive, for example removing the temptation for users to disable safety devices in order to get the job done. Derek Jones explores this idea in more detail in his article on page 12 where he argues the right approach in this sector can ensure that safety always pays.
But why is this message still not getting through elsewhere? Your views are mixed. In HSM's online poll this month we asked whether you think there is an economic advantage in implementing a health & safety policy effectively? At the time of going to press 62% thought there was but 20% did not and a further 18% were unsure. (It's not too late to vote at www.hsmsearch.com)
I know from the contents of my mailbag that we are more comfortable talking about health and safety in a ethical light than in a financial one. Companies are happy to publicise reductions in accidents and their effect on staff moral but often shy away from mentioning any financial gain. I would be interested in hearing more from businesses and organisations who have discovered investment in safety has paid dividends, whether they were expected gains or perhaps just a pleasant surprise. Write to me at the address below.
Georgina Bisby
Editor, Health & Safety Matters
gbisby@western-bp.co.uk More articles from HSM News Desk: | 
