Staying safe at work is one of the most important considerations for both business owners and employees. However the increase in the number of company directors and senior managers that have been prosecuted for health and safety offences has more than trebled in the last year, according to figures from the industry’s leading organisations. And Pallet Truck Shop is urging firms to take this as a warning and look at improving their health and safety procedures before it’s too late.
Despite many thinking that small businesses are more fragile to fines, the biggest impact of this is actually seen on medium sized companies. Firms that boast a turnover of between £10m-£50m are seeing the fines remove a startlingly high proportion of their annual turnover. Of those prosecuted over the last 12 months, 34 were found guilty, with one director convicted of gross negligence and manslaughter after an object fell and crushed a worker.
Phil Chesworth, Managing Director at Pallet Truck Shop, said, “There has been a huge push over the last decade to make workplaces a safe environment for all. However this hasn’t been reflected in the figures for one reason or another. It is imperative that businesses look at their health and safety first and foremost in order to ensure they avoid such large fines, but more importantly, keep all employees safe from harm.”
The Health and Safety Executive is an independent regulator and is dedicated to ensuring all workplaces are safe for employees. As a result, the organisation is seen as the gold standard in the industry. Undertaking research every year, it is designed to help companies by highlighting changes in the industry. However the latest revelation is worrying for the sector. But according to the experts at Pallet Truck Shop, it is easily rectified.
One of the best ways to keep employees safe in a manual handling environment is to invest in quality equipment and keep it in full working order. Static electric lift tables are one of the safest forms of equipment offering a safe and secure way to life heavy and large objects up and down, without strain on employees. Moving skates are another simple addition. Extremely compact they assist workers to manoeuvre objects with ease – even when space is limited. Helping to cut down on back strain or injury caused by dropping items, they are inherently useful.
Forklift trucks are one of the most important pieces of machinery in the workplace. But sometimes, traditional forklifts don’t quite cut it and they need a helping hand in the form of forklift fork extensions. Pallet Truck Shop’s fork extensions simply fit onto forks and allow them to reach further distances in order to get stock off deep shelves. Again this helps to minimise danger to employees by letting the machinery do the work.
“Although it may seem like an outlay at the time, investing wisely in equipment can help to avoid catastrophic accidents which can prove to be extremely costly for businesses in the long run,” added Phil.