Consequences of poor health and safety in the workplace

The consequences of poor health and safety in the workplace can have a negative impact on the safety of your employees and the reputation of your business. Although it is the responsibility of everybody in the workplace to adhere to health and safety regulations, the main accountability lies with the employer and any responsible persons tasked with implementing these procedures. 

Inadequate procedures and regular failure to keep up with maintenance inspections inevitably lead to a slip in safety standards that can put employees at risk. This blog post will help you highlight what poor health and safety can mean for your business and how to prevent it.

The cost of poor health & safety at work

The type of workplace you work within will determine the associated hazards and risks. There are myriad examples of bad health and safety practices, as there are so many different work settings, so a business should have health and safety protocols in place tailored to the environment of your business. 

The approach to health and safety starts at the top of the business, so if you have a relaxed attitude towards this, it can foster a workplace culture that can become detrimental in the long term. 

Here is a look at some of the potential impacts poor health and safety can have at work.

Increased risk of injuries

If you do not keep up with your health and safety procedures, then the likelihood of an employee or visitor incurring an injury is increased. HSE statistics show that there were 61,713 work-related injuries to employees across the period for 2021/22. 

If you are a small business, then having an employee off work for a substantial period because of a work-related injury will affect your business operations. 

Similarly, a larger organisation can fall foul of health and safety procedures, and this could impact the status and reputation of the business. It only takes one bad fall or incident to happen and depending on the severity of the injury suffered, this could be difficult to recover from.

You can download our free Health & Safety checklist - it’s a great tool for employers or anyone in charge of Health & Safety!

What are the legal repercussions?

The Health and Safety Work Act states that employers have a legal responsibility to adhere to requirements around, risk assessments, reviewing preventive and protective measures, having a written health & safety procedure:

• Risk assessments
• Reviewing preventive and protective measures
• A written health and safety policy if you employ five or more people
• Access to competent health and safety advice
• Consult employees about their risks at work and the current procedures in place

If a workplace is unsafe and an employee or visitor suffers an injury, it may be deemed a legal matter. The affected person may launch legal action against you to recoup any loss of earnings or compensation costs. 

Accidents and injuries are reported at work, as it isn’t always possible to prevent injuries. But if you have all relevant legal Health & Safety procedures in place, then you won’t be liable to face any legal action. 

Could the reputation of my business suffer?

This can depend on the size of your business. If you have a smaller business, then your reputation may suffer slightly, but reputational damage can be more significant for big businesses. 

A high-profile case of neglect that leads to severe injury can invite unwanted attention and scrutiny on the organisation as a whole. This can result in a loss of revenue if clients perceive your business negatively.

Online health & safety training courses

Providing your staff with high-quality and effective training doesn't need to be expensive or complicated, and we’re here to help you.

We have a range of Health & Safety Training courses covering many different scenarios, offering simple but effective solutions for working towards compliance with current legislation. Not only does this protect your staff, but it also protects your business and its interests. 

Each course is CPD Accredited, with many containing additional approvals from the likes of IOSH, IIRSM, and RoSPA, providing a printable certificate upon completion of the end-of-training test.

You can claim a free, no-obligation trial for any of our courses today! Alternatively, you can request a bespoke quote for your organisation, and a member of our team will be in touch shortly to discuss your training requirements. We’re here to help make your business a safe workplace with an adequate safety policy in place. Whatever your training requirements are, our comprehensive range of e-learning courses have you covered.