UK Manufacturing is currently enjoying a renaissance. Recent statistics from the Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index (PMI)1 indicate that the UK’s manufacturing sector has grown at its fastest level for two years. Business seems better than usual.
However, there were 70,000 cases of work-related injuries in the manufacturing sector last year, leading to 2.4 million lost working days2. So in times like these it is important to remind ourselves that as the industry is thriving we need to be more vigilant than ever in avoiding any health and safety mistakes, which can not only devastate lives, but incur expensive costs to businesses ranging from loss of reputation through to HSE fees for intervention, as well as significantly impacting the bottom line through business interruption.
My tips below provide some essential guidance for manufacturers to protect the health and safety of their employees and any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public:
- Risk Assessments: A trained health and safety expert should conduct a thorough assessment of the business to identify all potential hazards
- Document your findings: Analyse the assessments findings and document plans that you will put in place to mitigate and manage these risks
- Written Safety Policy: It is good practice (and a statutory requirement if you employ 5 or more people)3 to have a clearly written health & safety policy, which is easily accessible and regularly maintained, including identified risks and emergency procedures
- Train your workforce: Provide essential training, instruction, and supervision for new and experienced staff, which is even more essential where your risk assessment identifies higher hazard activities such as those present when working with chemicals and machinery.
- Provide essential gear: Provide your workforce with any required protective gear/equipment free of charge to keep them safe
- Promote a culture of safety: Encourage staff to report any potential hazards and leave a clearly documented process for including near misses and any colleagues who are not following the correct safety procedures and subsequently putting themselves and/or others at risk. RIDDOR provides important information on the duties of employers in reporting such incidents4.
These are just a few tips for manufacturers to ensure that health and safety is paramount in the workplace. However, despite our best efforts, accidents can still happen, which is why my forthcoming blog will focus on rehabilitating an employee in the event of an accident and bringing them back to the best recovery possible.
I’m David Sewell. I’m an Underwriting Manager at CNA Hardy with over 27 years’ experience. Follow CNA Hardy’s blog series on LinkedIn.
Any content, views, opinions and/or responses are solely the personal views, opinions and responsibility of myself and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my employer CNA Hardy. Neither I nor my employer CNA Hardy warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information available on this LinkedIn page. Nothing contained in or provided through this LinkedIn page is intended to constitute advice. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. I may include links to other web pages, but these links are not an endorsement of those pages.
1http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37539019
2http://www.hse.gov.uk/sTATIsTICs/industry/manufacturing/index.htm
3http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/committees/acdp/080609/acdp-92-p5c.pdf
4http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm
For more information on Health and Safety at Work, Refer to the HSE: http://www.hse.gov.uk/
Further information on Employers’ Health and Safety Responsibilities: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/employers-health-and-safety-responsibilities