No matter the size of your business you need to manage your health & safety responsibilities efficiently and effectively. Accidents and ill-health cost businesses both time and money. Employing an effective Health & Safety strategy can have an overall positive impact on the success of your business.
The Second European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER-2) is a survey carried out by EU-OSHA. This survey looks at how occupational health & safety is managed in organisations across Europe.
ESENER-2 was carried out in the summer/autumn months of 2014 and surveyed 49,320 organisations across 36 countries. These included the EU-28 plus six others including Albania, Iceland, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland.
The survey identified a number of reasons or drivers that motivate organisations to manage occupational health & safety. Such drivers include:
- Fulfilling legal obligations
- Meeting expectations from employees or their representatives
- Maintaining the organisation’s reputation
- Avoiding fines from the labour inspectorate
- Maintaining or increasing productivity
The key findings of the ESENER-2 Survey of the organisations in the EU 28 include:
Addressing health and safety offers significant opportunities for organisations. Some of the benefits include:
- Cutting healthcare costs
- Keeping older workers in employment
- Stimulating more efficient working methods and technologies
- A more successful and sustainable business
- Cuts down on absenteeism
- Meets the requirements of public and private sector contractors
- Reduced costs
- Reduced risks
- Lower employee turnover
- Fewer accidents
- Reduced threat of legal action
- Increased productivity, because employees are healthier, happier and better motivated
Furthermore, there is a number of economic benefits associated with good occupational health & safety management, such as:
- Schemes which have been put in place to reward organisations financially for having safe and healthy workplaces:
- Lower insurance premiums
- Tax breaks
- State subsidies and grants
In conclusion, good Health & Safety management = a happy, productive and prosperous organisation.
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