H&S Management: Introduction
In addition to legal reasons, there are other sound reasons for the employer to manage health and safety well. These include:
Marketing And Commercial Reasons
Good health and safety management helps to avoid accidents, ill-health and public concerns over the safety of the employer's products, services, operations and waste. In turn, an open and professional approach to pursuit of a business mission in a manner that safeguards people's health and safety helps to promote a positive business image in areas upon which the employer's business and jobs can ultimately depend, such as customers, suppliers, the City, the media and the enforcement authorities.
Financial Reasons
Good health and safety management helps to avoid accidents, ill-health, insurance claims for property damage and personal injury claims for compensation under the civil law. The avoidance of accidents and ill-health saves unnecessary costs, for example costs of investigations, sick pay, replacement staff, overtime working, management time, production delays, business interruption and loss, damage to property and the like. The avoidance of claims also saves unnecessary costs, for example expenditure on excess amounts payable in insurance claims, legal costs, uninsured compensation awards etc.
Protecting Interests Of Directors, Managers, Professionals, Etc
Good health and safety management helps to avoid criminal offences being attributed to decision makers or professional advisers who can be prosecuted for personal oversights, mistakes, poor judgement or getting their priorities wrong. The avoidance of personal prosecution saves the individual from such penalties as a criminal record, loss of earnings, and loss of golden handshake.