Did you know? Employers have many legal duties relating to Health and Safety. In the Construction Industry there are 100 times as many deaths from work related ill-health and disease as there are from injuries. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) there were 43 fatal injuries to workers in the UK construction industry in 2015/16.
The way in which this can effect and impact an Employer is through the following responsibilities and duties that they have and must carry out for their employees:
Employers must provide:
- A safe workplace
- Safe work equipment
- Adequate welfare facilities
- Suitable personal protection equipment
- Instruction, training and supervision
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations 1999 employers must:
- Have an effective system for managing Health and Safety
- Carry out risk assessments
- Put control measures in place to reduce risks
- Communicate with the workforce on health and safety matters
Although Employers do have their own responsibilities on site Employees also have some legal duties in relation to Health and Safety which is briefly detailed below:
Employees must:
- Take reasonable care of themselves and others
- Not put themselves, or others, at risk by what they do (or don’t do)
- Co-operate with their employer or the site manager on Health and Safety matters
- Report anything that they think is dangerous to their employer or person in charge on site
All of these responsibilities operate together alongside corporate policies in order to protect everyone from the second they step onto a construction site. Without Health and Safety Training these systemized protocols would break down and put everyone, including the general public at serious risk.
Not understanding or incorporating this can cause serious ramifications not only to individuals but also to the company, financially as:
- Work-Related Illness or Injury: 30.4 million days lost
- Work-Related Illness or Injury 2014/15: £14.1 billion lost
- Average Time Off per Injury or Illness: 16 Working Days
So, the right Health & Safety Courses are crucial because preventing injury and illness can save your business money as well as it also being a cost effective way to improve productivity.
For more information on this topic, book onto one of our Health and Safety Level 1 in a Construction Environment training days. Email Janine now on: janine@minstrelltraining.com or call 0161 647 7247
Minstrell Training 