The New Year brings the chance to change and start again fresh and reinvigorated

2020 is reported to be the year to bring opportunity and calm.

So looking forward to this new decade, let’s use this revitalized optimism, opportunity and calm to evolve your workforce into a SMARTER workforce and create proof your organisation is doing what the law requires.

2020 vision

For any employer to learn about the negative impact poor health and safety has on their employees and their company… Education and awareness are both paramount.
Only with this newfound knowledge (2020 vision), can we look to build stronger foundations, providing the tools and support to help you to help your employees become stronger and more resilient.

Let’s not forget, protecting the health and safety and welfare of you’re employees is a legal obligation…

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASWA) section 2 details:

General duties of employers to their employees.
(1) It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.

Seeing more will help you achieve more

We can all relate to being forced or pressurized into doing something, which can create anxiety and potentially have little or no effect on our future actions.
The stimulus created is negative. Only by listening and engaging more with our employees, can we hope for positive reactions and results.

Putting this into context; Forcing workers to attend health and safety meetings, briefings and general common sense seminars, not only takes them away from doing their job (which they are paid for and feel obliged to do well) but also has the potential to create false results – Management may feel their meetings create culture and joy, while the harsh truth maybe the information goes in one ear and out of the other.

Correspondingly, where is the evidence on these sessions held? Evidence which you would undoubtedly like in your arsenal when an Enforcing Officer (under a legal claim) or an Injury Claim Lawyer (under a civil claim) asks you to demonstrate compliance?

So in this New Year of change, why can’t we have both?

Engaged workers wanting to learn more about how to adopt better health and wellbeing and also in the company meeting the legal obligations regarding health and safety.
Read on to find out if this is possible..

The result of non-compliance

Before I reveal the answer (Utopia), I firstly need to return to the impact of a failure.

Breaches of health and safety and the resulting prosecution are not just based on a worker (employee or contractor) being involved in an incident; No actual worker (HASWA Section 2) or member of the public (HASWA Section 3) needs to be harmed for a failure to be reported and prosecution to evolve.

The result of a prosecution will be a Fine, a fine calculated based on risk and proportionate to your organisations annual turnover. Serious cases will result in an individual responsible person receiving a conviction and even imprisonment.

Try our Fines Calculator to see the cost of a fine in your organisation

So in 2020, to avoid catastrophic results, management require a different and more holistic approach. Efficient and auditable tools in controlling and administering frontline (where it is most needed) health and wellbeing information.

This can only create positive results, and demonstrate a level of care and consideration for the company’s biggest asset – The employee.
And the benefits don’t stop there. A frontline solution will provide the proof that the collective and individual’s responsibilities for health and safety have been met.

Utopia; Prevent injury and ill-health while protecting your organisation

So back to how to create positives and engage better with the workforce…

Firstly: As an employer, the ultimate goal in maintaining a high standard in health and safety without incurring huge resource costs (a negative in any business), would be to provide your employees with an efficient and innovative tool where they have access to a plethora of new and historic health, wellbeing and safety information.

Available In multiple languages and accessible 24/7 – 365.

All levels of Management would also benefit from having access to a central audit trail, showing the workers interaction and commitment.

Secondly: To reinforce a culture, employees could engage more by having easy and unlimited access to helpful and engaging information in a SMART way, both in their work and/or personal environment.
Q&A will be essential to support management in appreciating employees knowledge, competence and commitment.

Just two essential principles ultimately providing suitable and sufficient proof of the company’s commitment to health and safety.

IT’S A WIN WIN… Prevent ill health, injury and protect your investment while improving productivity and accelerating your company reputation.

Utopia is HERE

This interactive SMART solution is not just a concept; it is in full operation in many organisations today and more importantly, can be in yours.

It’s called Safety PAL (PLAN ACT LEARN)

Here are just a few modules our client’s employees have instant access to:
• Managing Stress videos
• Mental Health Videos
• Filtered bulletins and alerts on wellbeing and safety
• Stress Risk Assessments
• Access to new and historic health and safety training

A full Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portal comes as standard for each worker. Essential for creating an all-inclusive record of your employee interaction and competence.

Safety PAL fits all

Safety PAL is a single-source solution designed to improve your workforce’s culture, prevent accidents and collate proof, protecting management from health and safety breaches.

It uses the fundamental principals originated from legislation and associated guidelines. Resetting your safety and wellbeing from being a regulatory burden to being a positive inclusion in your organisation.

Whether a small family business or a large multinational company, Safety PAL is a single point solution available in 19 different languages. Synergizing a more effective and efficient way to deliver frontline health and safety.

The excuse no longer exists

There is no excuse in 2020 to not reinvigorate and freshen up your health and safety.

A solution you now know does exist, a solution to improve employee’s engagement in health, wellbeing and safety, while building your organisations compliance.

And lastly, by utilizing your existing resource, policies and procedures, you can achieve a streamlined approach reducing costs today and well into the future.

I have enjoyed writing this article over the Festive period, I truly hope you appreciate the importance of change.

Change which can help all your employees in being SMARTER and SAFER, but also, help protect your organisation and responsible individuals from future legal and civil claims.

Warm Regards
Karl Spencer
Founder of Safety PAL

Helpful links

More on Section 2 and other sections of legislation.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/section/2

Legislation on managing the risk to the health and safety of employees.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3/made

See how one system can do it all.
https://yoursafetypal.com/request-a-demo/