Health and safety laws are not new. In fact, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – the primary piece of legislation covering this area - will be 50 years old this year. So why are so many people still dying in work-related accidents?

In 2022/23 135 people lost their lives at work – a 10% increase on the previous year. 1.8 million people are also suffering from a work-related illness. A staggering number, of which:

875,000 suffer from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety
473,000 have a work-related musculoskeletal disorder

Stephen Galley, SafeCheck Director at Peninsula, says, “Working in health & safety for the last 20 years, I’ve heard all the jokes. And it certainly can be a very dry subject. But ensuring the safety and health of your employees is no laughing matter.

“The fact is too many people are still being seriously injured and killed at work. The latest figures released by the HSE make for stark reading, but far too often it takes a major accident or incident for people to sit up and take notice. For example, the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 prompted the introduction of more stringent fire regulations. It shouldn’t take a disaster on this scale for change to happen.

“Unfortunately, most business owners and directors only really start paying attention to health and safety following a significant event in their workplace, such as an accident, incident, insurance claim or enforcement visit. By then, it’s often too late. An employee may have lost their life or suffered life-changing injuries.

“Aside from the human cost, there are also financial penalties for businesses who get health and safety wrong. Last year, British businesses paid out £20.7 billion, another 10% increase from the previous year. The average ill-health cost was £19,300 per case, the average injury cost £12,200 and the average fatality cost a staggering £1.9 million.

“In addition, the average health and safety fine last year was £106,984. So, not only does it make moral and ethical sense for a business to know their risks, it also makes financial sense too.

“The first priority for any responsible owner is to know where their business stands right now. What are their risks and how are they managing them? Are they compliant with the law? If not, why not?

“95% of employers have five critical Health & Safety hazards in their business – are you one of them?

“Having an independent health and safety audit like Peninsula’s SafeCheck is a sensible place to start. This will highlight areas of vulnerability, so they can put measures in place to protect themselves, the business, and their employees, who deserve the right to leave the workplace in the same condition they arrived.

“What better way to recognise the 50^th anniversary of this legislation than by making 2024 a golden year for reducing the number of workplace accidents? Nothing would make me happier.”

Notes to editor

About Peninsula

Peninsula protects employers across the globe with employment law, HR, and health & safety services.

From small start-ups to well-known brands, we support tens of thousands of businesses with HR and health & safety. Business owners reduce their legal risk and save time with our expert advice, documentation, and more.

www.peninsulagrouplimited.com or www.peninsulagroupglobal.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408729706/en/

Miriam Payne, Associate Director of Group PR and Communications
T. 07929 711809 | E. Miriam.payne@peninsula-uk.com

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