Workplace safety helps ensure the safety of your employees and can prevent costly accidents or injuries in the workplace. Unfortunately, many businesses ignore workplace safety protocols and procedures, which can lead to deadly consequences.
Read on to learn more about why it’s essential to take workplace safety seriously and the potentially dire consequences of ignoring it.
What is Workplace Safety?
Workplace safety is the practice of creating and maintaining a safe work environment. It includes implementing measures to protect employees from potential hazards while on the job.
Workplace safety video needs is critical for any business, as it can help prevent costly accidents or injuries.
Benefits of Workplace Safety for Businesses
There are many benefits of investing in workplace safety, but here are just a few:
- It can help prevent costly accidents or injuries.
- It can help keep employees safe while on the job.
- It is legally required for some businesses.
- It can save money in the long run.
- It can improve productivity and morale.
- It can reduce worker’s compensation costs.
- It can help protect your business from lawsuits.
- It is the right thing to do.
Do Your Business Need to Invest in Workplace Safety?
While all businesses should invest in workplace safety, some are legally required.
- Businesses with employees who work in hazardous environments
- Businesses that have had accidents or injuries in the past
- Businesses that are legally required to have a safety program
- Businesses that want to improve productivity and morale
- Businesses that want to reduce worker’s compensation costs
By implementing measures to protect employees, these businesses can help reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.
Eight Reasons to Prioritize Workplace Safety
There can be severe consequences if you ignore workplace safety. Let’s look at the most harmful effects of ignoring workplace safety in your organization.
The Risk of Injury or Death
One of the most severe risks associated with ignoring workplace safety is injury or death for your employees. Employees who do not follow safety protocols expose themselves to hazardous materials or dangerous work environments where they could suffer severe injuries in a work-related accident.
Ignoring workplace safety can also lead to long-term health issues, such as respiratory illnesses caused by exposure to toxic substances in the air.
Legal Liability
If an employee gets injured or killed at work because of a lack of proper safety protocols, you could face liability for negligence against your business.
Even if you are not guilty in court, the legal fees associated with defending yourself can be costly for your business and could have long-lasting financial repercussions.
If an employer cannot provide a safe working environment, they could face serious legal action. Employees who have suffered an injury or illness because of their employer’s negligence may seek damages from them through civil court proceedings or workers’ compensation claims.
Employers should always ensure they meet all relevant legislative requirements regarding health and safety to avoid any potential legal issues down the road.
Lower Productivity
Employees working in unsafe conditions likely can not perform their jobs as efficiently because they are constantly worried about their safety and well-being.
As a result, it can lead to increased absenteeism, lower engagement levels, and higher turnover rates, ultimately impacting a business’s bottom line.
Workers may look for new employment elsewhere instead of staying with your company long-term, resulting in higher turnover rates and additional costs associated with hiring new staff members.
Employers must ensure that everyone feels safe when they come to work each day to optimize morale and productivity.
Lower Morale
Poor morale can quickly become a problem when employees feel unsafe at work because of inadequate security measures or hazardous working conditions.
Low morale can lead to decreased job satisfaction among employees, resulting in less engagement with tasks and overall job performance issues that could harm your business’s reputation.
In extreme cases, low morale among workers can also lead to money being stolen from customers or even sabotage against company property by disgruntled employees.
Financial Losses
The financial losses associated with workplace accidents and injuries can be tremendous. If an employee gets injured on the job, they may be out of work for some time, which means they lose their wages until they can return.
Employers may also have to pay compensation or legal costs related to the injury or accident. On top of these direct costs, businesses might experience indirect costs such as lost production time and higher insurance premiums because of more frequent claims.
Negative Publicity
No business ever wants negative publicity, but this is what could happen if a workplace accident occurs due to neglecting safety standards in your organization.
Local newspapers might pick up on the story, causing damage to your business’s reputation within and beyond the local community. Taking steps to ensure that everyone in your organization feels safe will help you avoid unwanted publicity later on.
Increased Accidents
Failing to implement health & safety procedures in your workplace creates a greater risk of accidents occurring—this applies inside and outside the office.
From slips & trips around desks or machinery to fire risks because of faulty electrical equipment, there are countless ways that accidents could occur without proper safeguards being put in place first.
Always ensure employees have access to all relevant safety information before embarking on any task—no matter how simple it may seem.
Increased Insurance Costs
Insurance companies consider how well you manage health and safety when calculating how much you should pay for cover each year—so if you don’t take adequate measures, you could end up paying more than necessary for insurance.
Make sure you regularly review your health & safety policies so that you can show good practice when negotiating with insurers.
Read about Safety and Training in unfavorable environment
We Can Help
If you’re ready to invest in a safety video to keep your employees safe, look no further than studio52. Our experienced professionals will create a safety video tailored to your specific needs to keep your staff safe and productive. Contact us today to get started.
Bottom Line
Taking steps to ensure a safe working environment should always be a priority for businesses of all sizes. It will help protect workers from harm and preserve your company’s reputation. In addition, Use of safety videos in 2024 will save your money—and possibly lives—in the future!
Ultimately, businesses can reap many long-term and short-term rewards by creating a safe working environment, so why wait? Instead, take steps now towards healthier workplaces today.
