Complying with Health and Safety regulations has become an everyday feature of doing business in the UK. Many business owners view spending on Health and Safety as a burden, however complying with regulations could save your business a lot of money in the long run.
According to recent studies on the latest prosecution data for the Health and Safety Executive, businesses paid on average over £115,000 in fines when guilty of a safety breach.
Predictably, the Manufacturing and Construction industries are the most heavily fined due to the nature of the work performed such as working at height, working with gas, and working with machinery etc.
If your organisation is found to be in breach of Health and Safety regulations, these fines could just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of the cost to your business.
Word of mouth travels fast and suppliers and customers may not want to invest time or money in organisations that do not meet their standards for Health and Safety. In some sectors, holding an industry recognised accreditation is key to securing lucrative contracts and auditors will often closely inspect health and safety standards.
Companies with poor track records for safety may also find difficulty when recruiting staff due to a poor reputation for safety standards, which could impact productivity.
How can I avoid being fined?
For SME’s outside support with Health and Safety can be the best way to ensure that your company is compliant, without having to pay for another full salary.
St Helens Chamber offers free Health and Safety guidance, employment law and HR telephone advice 24 hours a day 7 days a week, as part of Chamber Membership.
Chamber Members have unlimited access to qualified specialists on any employment law or human resource issue.
As a Chamber Member you also have access to a practical and easy to follow online reference manual including detailed advice on Health and Safety, employment law and human resource.
To view the manual click here
To find out more about the Chamber HR service click here
For more information on joining St Helens Chamber, speak to our Membership Team on 01744 742025 or click here
