Workplace ill health costs North West 5.2 million working days

Date published: 04 April 2006


With the start of the new financial year, the Health and Safety Executive is urging small businessesi to consider the savings that can be gained with a good health and safety policy, as part of the Better Business campaign. Work related ill health and injury costs North West employers approximately £720 million a year.

The Better Business campaign can reveal that one in five small businesses have at least one worker who suffered an injury in 2005. Last year, British businesses lost up to £7.8 billionii through workplace injuries and ill health, even though many of the incidents could have been prevented through better health and safety planning.

In 2003/4, an estimated 5.2 million working days were lost due to injuries or ill health caused by work in the North West, equating to an average of two days per worker. Employee ill health can be particularly difficult for smaller businesses, which can struggle to cover costs resulting from lost earnings, sick pay, compensation, sick leave cover and loss of output.

Yet, last year alone, up to 600,000 people were injured or became ill because of work, costing their employers an average of £1,200 each time.  Showing that businesses still need to consider their workplace health and safety strategy.

David Ashton, HSE Regional Director in the North West, said: "When businesses are planning for the next financial year, they should take into account the dent in profits that workplace accidents and ill-health can cause.

"Many businesses think that getting hurt or becoming ill tends to happen in exceptional circumstances. This couldn't be further from the truth. Incidents can happen in any business, regardless of size or activity."

The Better Business campaign offers advice on putting in place safer and more efficient working practices, resulting in a healthier, happier workplace and therefore a more profitable one. These measures do not have to be expensive, time consuming or complicated, but can be put in place through careful planning and simple, preventative
measures.

Tackling these issues is certainly paying dividends for G F Holding (Contractors) Ltd of Dukinfield, a small joinery business specialising in leisure and financial projects that range from fitting out cinemas and nightclubs to installing cash-point machines.

Since introducing safety training and workplace improvements, turnover has soared to over £20 million a year.

The company was keen to reduce the levels of wood dust at the workshop even though they fell well within government regulations. This led to them putting in place measures that significantly improved ventilation and the flow of fresh air.

Tony Dean runs the company's health and safety department, which is fully resourced with a reference library and an extensive range of training materials. Safety training for staff ranges from general site awareness to competency courses in specific topics such as tower scaffold erection and manual handling.

He said: "We are not simply trying to create a pleasant working environment. Cutting accidents and ill health has a direct financial bearing on the bottom line - for instance by reducing insurance premiums, minimising lost production or keeping overtime or temporary staff costs down.

"There are equal benefits from retaining valued staff and avoiding the cost of unnecessary recruitment or training. Most importantly, by keeping employees motivated we keep the business productive and our clients happy."

HSE's Better Business campaign is a national initiative that focuses on raising awareness about the financial and personal costs and causes of workplace incidents. It also shows the real bottom-line benefits of managing health and safety effectively.

For further information and to read about the business benefits of better health, go to http://www.hse.gov.uk/betterbusiness or contact HSE's Infoline on 0845 345 0055

Do you have a story for us?

Let us know by emailing news@rochdaleonline.co.uk
All contact will be treated in confidence.


To contact the Rochdale Online news desk, email news@rochdaleonline.co.uk or visit our news submission page.

To get the latest news on your desktop or mobile, follow Rochdale Online on Twitter and Facebook.


While you are here...

...we have a small favour to ask; would you support Rochdale Online and join other residents making a contribution, from just £3 per month?

Rochdale Online offers completely independent local journalism with free access. If you enjoy the independent news and other free services we offer (event listings and free community websites for example), please consider supporting us financially and help Rochdale Online to continue to provide local engaging content for years to come. Thank you.

Support Rochdale Online