Has Health and Safety in the Workplace Gone Mad? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

If you’re a fan of the comedian Ricky Gervais, it’s almost certain that you’ll have watched The Office back to back at least twice.

The series portrays a self-deprecating cast of characters having typical office fun in Slough. Apart from the stapler in the jelly scene, there is another that typifies the humour of the show. Gareth oversees health and safety training for Donna, the newest recruit to the Wernham Hogg paper company.

While his training session left a lot to be desired, which included the correct placement of a hot beverage, we at CoursesOnline know just how vital the subject can be. In this guide, we want to explore the importance of the issue and bring you plenty of interesting facts along the way.

Usually, the concept is heard in the sentence, ‘health and safety has gone mad.’ Here’s how Dictionary.com defines it:

‘Regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in workplaces or public environments.’

You might have sat through countless health and safety induction talks whenever you’ve joined a new job. They are vital to a safe, productive working environment.

Psst! If this article isn’t for you, perhaps you might like to learn how to ace THAT terrifying interview question.

The most common problems arising from improper health and safety training include:

Between one and two hours of health and safety training per employee, every six to nine months can prevent injuries caused by workplace accidents by up to 70%. While common sense is vital in the workplace, health and safety training and initiative has been proven to reduce avoidable accidents.

In 1974, the UK government introduced the Health and Safety at Work Act. The act necessitated every company to provide health and safety training ‘so far as is reasonably practical.’ Essentially, this law requires employers to tackle potential risks by putting appropriate safety measures into place.

Building on the 1974 act, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations was implemented in 1999. While this probably feels like a dull history lesson, the 1999 regulations were more specific about what things employers needed to address.

According to the government’s department of health and safety, these specific health and safety requirements include:

All jobs come with their unique health hazards and safety concerns. Some careers are dangerous because of heavy machinery or constant lifting, others because of the unhealthy environment that employees work within.

Below are several professions that are impacted by health and safety because of their hazardous environments. Some might say they come with the territory.

All that talk about illness has caused us to feel a little queasy, but it’s important to remember that heavy lifting and repetitive strain injuries do not account for all health and safety issues.

When you join a new company, and your new role requires training, you’re almost sure to encounter a health and safety module. It can feel like a tedious waste of time; however, the sessions ensure that you increase your awareness of potential risks, and the workplace can remain safe and productive.

To build towards a career that you’ll love which will make the health and safety medicine go down with some metaphorical sugar, why not browse our extensive list of courses:

And remember, always bend from the knees.