Sometimes it might seem that just complying with all the health and safety legislation today is a non-stop excuse for spending money. It isn’t. It really, really isn’t. At the very core of the legislation is the requirement not to harm people – people who work for you, and people you do work for; people who visit you, and; people who may be affected by what you do, make or design. If you do harm someone, and it’s proven to be your fault, then you will most likely be prosecuted – and that will cost you money. Not just in fines, but in compensation, lost production, lost revenue and from poor goodwill or publicity. Sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences (that came into effect in 2016) dramatically increase the level of fines that courts are required to hand down. And that’s not even counting the ethical side of things: how would you genuinely feel if someone you employ was seriously injured at work? So, preventing yourself ending up in court has already potentially saved you many thousands of pounds and a lot of sleepless nights, at the very least.

Health and safety professionals often see employers simply throwing money at health and safety believing that this is the best way to be compliant. More often than not, it is quite possible to save money by simply spending it in the right places, or on the right equipment. Sometimes, changing the way a task is performed, or changing the way the machinery in a factory is laid out, or altering the movement of people and vehicles can actually prevent harm more readily than spending a fortune on signs, notices or training. Sometimes, changing the way things are done can actually increase production and therefore revenue.

If a company does not make money, then it may well fold. If that happens, then all the people who work for it will be out of work, and that causes stress, which is a well-known root cause of ill-health. It is not therefore something that an adviser in health and safety wants to do – they are committed to preventing ill-health, whatever its cause. So that means trying to make companies better, stronger, more productive and more profitable; not just compliant with the law. Profitability is not just the preserve of accountants or financiers – professional health and safety advice can increase the bottom line too.