Published 26 Sep 2018

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

by William Inglis

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.

In the UK over

are killed each year in accidents at work

In the UK over

0 Million

are injured

What is Health and Safety?

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:

Muscular pain and posture effects from incorrect manual handling.
Slipping on wet floors which haven’t been highlighted correctly, by a sign, for example.
Trip hazards caused by trailing cables.
Falling from a height which is caused by incorrect ladder placement.

Can’t we Use Our Common Sense?

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.

0.2 Million

working days are lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury

Why do Businesses Have to Care About Health and Safety?

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:

Using risk assessments to address specific hazards and potential concerns.
Appointing competent people to oversee health and safety arrangements.
Setting up emergency procedures for unexpected events such as fires or floods.
Providing clear information and training to all employees.
Working with other employers who share the same workplace to manage and minimise any risks.

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.

Doctors
Talking with sick and injured people all day long means almost constant exposure to germs. While doctors might be able to cure you of your ailment, you may well have transferred it to them.
Flight Attendants
Taking a long flight after a holiday of excess can often cause you to feel run down and worse, sick. According to Forbes.com, commercial aeroplanes re-circulate between 40 and 50% of the air in the cabin. This statistic can cause even the calmest of passengers to feel a little uneasy; however, modern planes are fitted with air filters to combat this risk.
Teachers
Children are our future. They say the funniest things and often cause us to say, ‘aww,’ however they also bring copious amounts of germs into the classroom. Teachers are on the frontline, and that’s why they spend an average of eight days per year sick with the common cold.

Health and safety failures cost Great Britain up to

$0 Billion

each year

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:

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And remember, always bend from the knees.