When there are so many health and safety rules and regulations to follow, it can be very tempting to delay safety processes or put off regular maintenance inspections. At CHARNAUD, we believe that although these tasks might seem as if they are simply getting in the way of your workflow, skipping over or avoiding them means that you are not managing safety practices or your business in a way that will encourage positive workflow or a stronger brand. The risks of not proactively managing safety practices might be more serious than you think.
Direct Risks of not Managing Safety Practices
There are a number of direct risks that you may not have considered if your workplace safety is not a priority. When you fail to instil a strong culture of health and safety in your work environment, then you expose yourself to these direct risks below. Each can have dire consequences for your future.
Risk #1: Poor Worker Safety
If you lack the right safety practices, then your team are more vulnerable to injuries, illnesses, or even loss of life.
Risk #2: Fines & Compensation
When you are not managing safety practices effectively, you may be hit with fines if you have an inspection. Should an employee injure themselves due to the lack of a robust workplace health and safety regime, then you may face lengthy legal proceedings and the risk of paying out compensation.
Risk #3: Higher Costs
Looking after workplace equipment is vital for a smoother workflow, but if you skip maintenance schedules, then your equipment can become damaged more quickly, leading to costly repairs and downtime.
Risk #4: Sick Pay
If an employee is injured or becomes ill due to poor safety practice management, then you may have to pay sick pay while they recover. This means that you not only have a cost risk but a productivity one as well.
The Indirect Risks of Poor Safety Practices
There are long- and short-term consequences to not prioritising and managing safety practices. Unsafe workplaces could cost more than the obvious risks, such as:
Risk #5: Productivity Drop
If your workload cannot be completed to planned schedules because the equipment is malfunctioning, or you have a member of the team out of action due to a workplace injury, then your productivity will be hard hit.
Risk #6: Workflow Interruptions
When the workflow is so essential for efficient profit-generation, anything that interrupts that flow can be damaging to the future of a business. If you have to take time out of your work tasks to deal with investigations, then you will be unable to focus on profitable work processes.
Risk #7: Reputation Loss
Regular accidents in the workplace, or even a one-off mishap with long-term consequences, can be dire news for your PR department. Not only do you run the risk of negative customer awareness, but you also make it harder to attract skilled talent to your business. Nobody wants to work for a brand that has a poor safety record and you may even lose your existing employees, clients, and business partners.
CHARNAUD is Your Last Line of Defense
If you want to keep productivity, staff morale and your future growth plans as safe and secure as possible, then it’s vital that you make managing safety practices a workplace priority. If you make the mistake of waiting until an emergency or a health and safety wake-up call, then the damage will already have been done. Take the time to develop a strong culture of risk management and avoidance and your business will be much more secure. Chat to CHARNAUD about your site safety needs today.