It is often falsely concluded that business and modern employee safety standards in the UK, and the USA especially, contradict each other.
However, that is not quite true, because
some of the most successful companies in both countries also seem to have the most satisfied employees.
The asset factor: changing mindsetsThe term asset is not something that is only being used of late to describe important employees in a company, but it is in perception of the term asset that changes are being seen.
The new approach is taken up by manufacturing, warehousing and construction companies in particular, where accidents are the most common.
The idea is that each employee working under them should be treated as an asset, so that in time, every employee truly becomes an asset.
This isn’t just a moral approach either, as it makes perfect business sense and stays true to what most experts agree about employee mentality.
A few of the following bullet points should make the connection between moral management and business perspective clearer.
• Employees who feel safe, wanted and taken care of within a company are less likely to leave it later on
• Creating
a sense of belonging via providing a safe and happy workplace boosts productivity
• It is more cost-effective to keep an experienced and happy workforce, than a constantly changing, inexperienced one
• The cost of training could bear down heavily, coupled with the loss of productivity, when employees are lost in accidents
Avoiding Lawsuits: Neglecting Employee Protection Could be Very CostlyIf the management is working hard towards providing a safe work environment for every employee, and treating them with due diligence, there are two advantages here:
• Happy employees are less likely to file a lawsuit, especially when worker’s compensation insurance is there to take care of them
• Even when a lawsuit is filed, if all protective measures were taken by the management, they will not be penalised
The basics of employee protectionIt is hard to define what employee protection should consist of without knowing the specific industry, but the basic idea is to provide them the necessary gear so that they are not put in harm’s way while doing their job.
For example, fall protection is the most common and expected form of protection in construction particularly, but it can also be essential in warehouses and manufacturing units to prevent falls from high platforms.
A point to be noted here is that employers should be particularly careful of what they invest their money in, while buying the necessary PPE from reputable manufacturers like
Guardian Fall Protection.
They provide adequately certified, high-quality fall protection gear, because it’s not just about the lawsuits, but these are the equipment that save lives on a daily basis.
There is also the question of missed days of work after an accident, inspections from the authorities, safety checks and bad reputation.
In truth, safety and business are not just intertwined, they are essentially interdependent to foster growth and prosperity for both corporations and their workers.