Q1 2024
Controlling Workers Compensation Costs With Safety Programmes
An effective way organisations can control workers compensation costs is to implement a comprehensive safety programme. This strategy can yield significant savings by minimising employee injuries and illnesses, ultimately reducing workers compensation expenses, and it can help keep employees safe. Moreover implementing robust safety measures is required under health and safety law.
Organisations should consider these tips to create a well rounded safety programme that produces a safer job site, aids health and safety law compliance and reduces accidents:
• Conduct thorough risk assessments. Construction sites have unique hazards that must be identified and controlled. Organisations should conduct regular risk assessments using trained individuals. The findings can help organisations pinpoint how to eliminate risks and tailor their safety programmes.
• Develop robust incident response protocols. Even with stringent controls, accidents can happen. Safety programmes should include emergency response measures, including publicised evacuation routes and first aid procedures, to minimise harm. Afterwards employers should investigate accidents to uncover the root cause, allowing them to improve safety. All accidents should be investigated, regardless of severity to discover what went wrong and why.
• Provide training to develop safety competence. Safety programmes should include the provision of robust training. Regular training and education can help to establish safety competency throughout an organisation by improving knowledge and skills. Training should consist of (but not be limited to) personal protective equipment use, hazardous materials handling and incident reporting.
• Understand health and safety regulations. Construction regulations can change so organisations must stay abreast of relevant legislation. Including (but not limited to) the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.
Overall a robust safety programme can assist in keeping employees safe and reducing workers compensation claims. In addition a safer job site may bolster employee morale and retention.
For further industry specific risk management guidance contact us today.
