Workplace injuries are costing British business £250 every second
13 August 2008
The British Red Cross has revealed that less than 50% of businesses surveyed were aware of imminent changes to health and safety regulations.
From October 2009 the traditional structure of the first aid at work qualification will change. Businesses will be expected to both be aware of, and adhere to, the adapted legislation.
Workplace injuries costing British business £250 a second
The announcement of the first changes to Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations in over 25 years has never been more essential for businesses to review current practices and ensure that they have enough health and safety trained staff.
The Red Cross survey, uncovered that of those companies surveyed a large amount were either not compliant with current legislation or were unable to confirm if they adhered to current guidelines. Small and medium sized enterprises appear to be the sector most at risk, as of the larger companies questioned the majority were providing in excess of the mandatory cover.
"The problem is that businesses, particularly those of a small or medium size, are overwhelmed by the mountains of confusing red tape," Brian Nimick, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council believes,
British Red Cross First Aid Training has long recognised this pressure and provides a range of support services to help. The main website provides an online calculator tool, allowing you to check how many and the category of first aider you need, and has recently introduced an email alerts service to keep you up to date with the latest changes in legislation.
Along with the assurance that you will be on the right side of the law, the business benefits of providing first aid training for your staff are a great incentive. Annual payouts for accidents and injuries cost the economy £7.8 billion, which is the equivalent of £250 per second. The British Safety Council points out that this figure would allow for 10 new hospitals to be built every year.
Staff retention can also be helped greatly by providing training for employees. First Aid training has been proven to improve self-confidence and motivation among the work force as well as providing the essential skills that may be necessary to save a colleague’s life.