How investing in work at height safety can increase productivity and profitability
Many business owners still feel that investing in workplace safety will have a negative impact on productivity and finances. The fact remains that in today’s competitive climate, cost is everything. You want the safest possible solution for your project without breaking the bank. It’s a common conundrum for every business and organisation, how can you keep within budget without putting workers’ lives at risk? In this blog, we will look at the benefits of investing in work at height safety.
The ultimate cost of falls from height
Every year workers are suffering death and serious injuries as a result of falls from height that could, with proactive safety planning, be avoided. In the latest fatal injuries in Great Britain statistics 2019/2020, 29 people were killed as a result of a fall from height. Falls from height remains the main cause of fatal accidents in the UK.
Unfortunately, in our experience it often takes a near-miss for organisations to invest in work at safety, equipment and training. We see too often a culture of complacency and cost-cutting on safety equipment and training in an effort to keep within a tight operating budget.
The truth is, a safe workplace is often a more productive and profitable one! Whilst investing in the right work at height equipmpent and training will most importantly save lives and prevent life-changing injuries, it will also increase productivity, profitability and has a whole host of additional benefits you may not have considered.
A study by Lockheed Martin of their Paducah Plant found that by developing a safety culture, they were able to increase employee productivity by 24% and reduce factory costs by 20%. Lockheed Martin's study found that the major reason for this increase was their focus on reducing errors that lead to accidents.
By implementing extensive training, improving pre-work preparation, and auditing all safety processes, plant personnel were able to increase safety while also reducing expenses.
The Impact of COVID-19 on work at height safety
Owing to the COVID-19 crisis, many everyday work at height activities have been adversely affected due to the introduction of social distances measures and additional hygiene requirements. As a result employers are having to adapt their usual processes and equipment.
There’s never been a better time to undertake a review of all working at height activities and see where alternative equipment or methods of work could be used to improve safety, increase propductivity and reduce costs.
Read Improving work at height safety and efficiency for Amaray and find out how they increased productivity and improved efficiency in carrying out working at height tasks at their manufacturing facility.
The top 7 business benefits of good work at height safety, equipment and training
1.Productivity and profits
Good safety measures mean that your staff can do their work more easily and safely. For example, better work at height equipment can mean that two person jobs are reduced to one person, both hands can be made free so time spent working at height is reduced. Overall this will boost morale, increase productivity and reduce costs.
2.Reduced downtime
Whether you work in an office or a manucfacturimng facility, minimising downtime is the key to maintaining productivity. Downtime can be reduced through regular inspections and equipment maintenance.
3.Retain employees
You are more likely to retain skilled and loyal employees, saving the time and costs of recruiting and training a new member of your workforce.
4.Reduce absences and sick leave
Another benefit of good health and safety measures at work is that employees are less likely to take sick leave. This saves the business the direct and indirect costs of staff absence.
5.Reputation
Good health and safety measures will help you to build a positive reputation with your clients and employees, and their family, friends and associates. The resulting good public relations could help to increase sales and generate more leads.
6.HSE investigation investigation, fines and prosecutions
It goes without saying this is something that you will want to avoid at all costs. An investigation will have direct costs such as legal and fines, as well as having an impact on turnover, and reputation.
7.Save insurance and legal costs
A good standard of health and safety in the workplace can reduce your insurance premiums, as well as the costs of accidents that aren't covered by your insurance, such as sick pay, production delays or repairs to essential equipment. Uninsured costs can be greater than insured costs, and they have to be paid out of your business' income.
In Summary
Protecting employees’ safety when working at height is a legal responsibility for all businesses, but a proactive approach and good practice can save money, increase productivity and improve profitability.
There are many other benefits such as employee attraction and retention. Therefore, the sooner you begin creating a safer work environment, the better.
