Kays Medical partner with The University of Bedfordshire
Health & Safety in the Workplace
Health & Safety in the Workplace
Health & safety in the workplace is critical to keeping everyone safe, happy and healthy. For employees, it ensures they will not be subject to unnecessary risk when carrying out their duties, and for employers, it provides an efficient, disciplined workplace with minimal disruptions.
However, all workplaces are unique and therefore have unique health & safety requirements, and because of this, it can be difficult for employers to ascertain what their specific health & safety responsibilities are.
Health & safety in the workplace may include but are not limited to the following:
Risk Assessments
Identify, document and minimise risks.
Manual Handling
Reduce acute and chronic back injury by implementing safe systems of work for lifting in the workplace.
Fire Awareness
Gain a thorough understanding of fire, its risks and how to respond in an emergency.
Workplaces must provide the following:
• a suitably stocked first aid kit
• an appointed person or people to take charge of first aid arrangements
• information for all employees, telling them about first aid arrangements
Who is Responsible for Health & Safety?
We all are responsible for doing everything we can to keep ourselves safe in the workplace. However, as an employer, you have specific legal responsibilities to ensure the safety of your employees.
According to HSE, “As an employer, you must protect your workers and others from getting hurt or ill through work. If you don’t:
• A regulator such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or local authority may take action against you under criminal law
• The person affected may make a claim for compensation against you under civil law”
Further information regarding an employer’s legal responsibilities can be found on the HSE website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/law/index.htm
The Importance of Health & Safety in the workplace
Health & safety, however, should not just be seen as a legal responsibility; it has real-world benefits if done well and real-world consequences if not.
According to HSE, in 2021/22 in the UK, there were:
• 1.8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, of which
• 914,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety
• 477,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder
These work-related illnesses not only affect the workers involved but also have a significant effect on businesses:
• 36.8 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
• £18.8 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions
The highest cost of all, however, was the 123 lives lost to workplace accidents in the UK in 2021/22
What should employers do?
Organisations must understand their health & safety responsibilities, the specific requirements of their organisation and how to implement them. If they need help understanding this, they must work with a reputable provider to support them and protect employers and employees.
Find out more: