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Safety warning for businesses
COST-cutting companies battling the credit crunch could spark hazards for workers in South Tyneside, a health boss warned today.
There are fears cash-strapped firms already coping with the recession could slash spending on safety.
The warning comes after a new survey revealed that 25 per cent of businesses say they face pressure to cut spending on health and safety.
But officials of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which this week launched its latest strategy to cut the number of deaths and injuries in the workplace, say economising on safety could be dangerous to employees and ultimately more costly for firms.
Pam Waldron, HSE head of operations for the north east, said: "For businesses in the north east to consider cutting spending on health and
safety this year is false economy.
"It is not only potentially dangerous, it could also affect their bottom line at the very time when this is already under pressure."
There were seven deaths, 1,296 major injuries and 4,974 injuries requiring at least three days off work in the region in 2007-8, but there are fears this could rise, if companies invest less time and money in health and safety.
Ms Waldron added: "There are concerns these figures have reached a plateau, and could actually take a turn for the worse and rise.
"We fully appreciate the pressures on firms, particularly small firms, to cut costs, but our major concern is that companies are not looking at safety strategies from the very top to the bottom of the company structure.
"And we would like to see firms getting their employees more involved in implementing safety strategies in the workplace, because workers often know more than anybody."
Latest HSE figures reveal that more than two-thirds of workers in the region know someone who has been injured at work or been made ill by their job – more than any other region.
Ben Cottam, managing director of Cottam Brush, at Monkton Business Park North, Hebburn, manufacturers of industrial and domestic brushes, said: "We would never dream of cutting back on health and safety, but we are also under constant pressure to cut costs.
"I can understand how some small companies may find it hard to spend money on maintaining safety standards in the workplace, but we find the HSE provides very practical advice, and we also receive safety guidance through the Engineers Employers Federation.
"But I would have thought cutting back on safety in the workplace is not only potentially dangerous, but will cost companies more in the end, if there are accidents."
The new HSE strategy includes quashing workplace scepticism about health and safety measures.
These measures include making a million HSE publications available for download and a greater common sense approach to workplace safety by managers.
Visit the HSE website for workplace safety advice by clicking on to www.hse.gov.uk.
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
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