No doubt many of you will have made your New Year resolutions by now and many of you may also have already broken them! But for all of you who are concerned with health and safety, if there is one resolution you should make and adhere to, that is to make 2010 your “safest” year yet.Despite the tough economic conditions, 2008/2009 saw improved health and safety statistics in the UK. But these statistics still featured 180 deaths, over 130,000 injuries and 1.2 million cases of work-related ill-health. So there is a long way to go as many families continue to be adversely affected by workplace accidents and incidents.
The Institute of Occupational safety and Health (IOSH) is calling on businesses to make a resolution this year to:
promote a healthy work-life balance by discouraging long working hours
promote a good safety culture
clamp down on work-place bullying
create opportunities to enjoy a healthy lifestyle
By following these steps we should be able to reduce the number of deaths in British work-places and have a significant impact on the number of serious injuries and cases of ill-health caused or made worse by work. Additionally, by employing a risk management specialist and having a business risk assessment improvements can be made to help further reduce these figures.
Fit and healthy members of staff are good for business as there is less absenteeism and thus more productivity. So even in tough economic times, investment in health and safety is the right thing to do to help maintain a profitable business.
In conclusion, if you only make and keep one resolution this year, pledge to make 2010 the safest year yet. And if you need advice and guidance, speak to a risk management consultant and your insurance broker.
This article has been provided by Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers Limited, the business insurance experts. For free advice and no-obligation commercial insurance quotations, contact us on 01603 218000 or visit our web site – http://www.alanboswell.com/
