Health and safety compliance
It’s a question that some know the answer to, and many others think they know the answer to…
The law states that “all workers are entitled to work in environments where risks to their health and safety need to be properly controlled. Primary responsibility for this is down to employers and they must consult with their employees, or their representatives, on health and safety matters.”
However, when it goes wrong, questions will be asked in court covering every aspect of the incident. People are often surprised that the blame for an accident can be long and far reaching. We have all heard of corporate manslaughter cases where the CEO of an organisation finds themselves behind bars but often a ‘root and branch review’ may find fault in many – from the operatives doing the work, to supervisors and managers. What many don’t realise however, is that an operative can personally be accountable and prosecuted accordingly. They can end up themselves with fines and even imprisonment.
As we live in a more litigious era there’s a simple solution – ‘give your staff the right training, information, and environment for the job and you should have a good foundation.’ If anything does go wrong it still doesn’t mean the managers are off scot-free but they may have a robust defence should it end up in front of the fella with the woolly wig!
Information often moves upwards rather than down and workers often understand the work much better than anyone else, so the main part of compliance is making sure that there is regular discussion with staff. Don’t forget this is required by regulations.
Basically it boils down to a simple message – If you don’t train or instruct or consult with your staff about safety matters then the long arm of the law awaits…
Shout Out Safety provide entertaining, accredited Health & safety compliance courses streamed online as HD video.
We make our courses entertaining exactly because we’re serious about Health & Safety training. Learning is easier when people are engaged and they concentrate harder when they’re entertained.
