Whatever size company you are, the health and safety of your employees should be top of your mind. Dangers occur whether you’re in an office or at a construction site, and some of them may not even be apparent. It’s important you raise company-wide hazard awareness and put safety measures in place to keep your employees safe and healthy.
To educate your employees and create a safe workplace, invest in health and safety training from Engage in Learning. Our customised, interactive courses will give your employees the theory needed to perform their jobs safely and keep your business compliant.
Let’s explore more why health and safety training is so important and what benefits it can bring to you.
Comply with the law
It might be obvious, but The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires you to protect the health of your employees and ensure their safety. This includes;
- Providing adequate PPE
- Providing functioning and safe equipment
- A written policy
- Training
If you don’t comply with the legislation, you can face fines, imprisonment, and disqualification. Investing in health and safety courses will help you avoid serious consequences for non-compliance for both your company and individual employees.
Prevent accidents and ill-health at work
According to HSE, 1.6 million working people suffered a work-related illness in the UK in 2019/20 and 111 workers were killed at work. These numbers can give you shivers but can be significantly reduced if you follow proper safety protocols.
The primary goal of any health and safety training is to prevent accidents and ill-health in the workplace. Comprehensive training will prepare your workers for potential hazards, for example, related to working at height or transporting chemical substances, and teach them how to keep themselves and others safe. It’ll also help prevent the spread of any infections, such as E.Coli or Coronavirus.
Promote proactive thinking
Employees who complete a health and safety awareness course are able to anticipate accidents and minimise the likelihood of them happening. For example, if there’s a spillage on the floor, they’ll put a wet floor sign before someone slips and breaks a leg. Or if they see a work colleague upset or fatigued, they’ll guide them towards getting the best professional help.
Cost-effective
As well as claims and compensations, incidents at work cost money in lost productivity, disrupted work schedules, clean up and repairs, and hiring and training replacement workers.
Last year 38.8 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injuries. The estimated cost of injuries and ill health amounted to £16.2 billion in 2019 (HSE, 2020).
Yes, health and safety measures cost money too, but it’s a small fraction of what could happen if you don’t invest in any.
Create a happy workforce
Workplace safety can drive employee productivity and positively affect job satisfaction. Employees who have gone through health and safety training are more confident in their roles as they know how to operate machinery, handle food properly, or what to do in case of fire.
Become an employer of choice
Lastly, good health and safety measures such as training courses will help you build and maintain a positive reputation amongst your clients and employees. Even one accident can spell doom for your business, so do everything you can to prevent it in the first place.
When it comes to health and safety, a proactive approach is vital. There are many benefits to investing in engaging online training, from lowering absenteeism and boosting employee morale, to keeping your company compliant and preventing accidents. See our complete course list to develop a positive health and safety culture in your workplace.
Written by Mara Swann Mara has a passion for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion across global workplaces and hopes to inspire learners to focus on their own careers with self-directed learning content.
