Most directors know that health and safety failings and under-performance are likely to lead to criminal prosecution.

Failing to manage health and safety properly can also lead to significant financial penalties, as well as obvious harm to employees.

Worryingly, many organisations think they are legally complaint with health and safety laws, when in actual fact they are not.

Below is a list of 10 of the most common ways organisations are vulnerable to claims and fines through Health and Safety under-performance:

1. Having a health & safety policy …… but not doing what it says on the tin!

2. Not giving comprehensive safety, health and welfare inductions on Day 1

3. Not risk assessing everything: all tasks, activities, equipment, circumstances and potential situations

4. Not including everyone in the health and safety management system: full and part-time staff (with special consideration for young workers), business visitors, contractors, agency workers, neighbours and members of the public

5. Not asking employees to sign off that they have received information, guidance and training

6. Not providing sufficient training on plant, equipment, materials, and general aspects of safety at work

7. Not ensuring employees have read and understood risk assessment and procedural documents

8. Not consulting employees on matters of health & safety (and not celebrating their good performance!)

9.Not keeping enough evidence of the training, instruction, guidance and information provided to staff.

10. Not regularly reviewing and refreshing – failing to audit what's really happening on the ground and not repeating training and risk assessments at regular intervals

If you or your organisation are guilty of doing any one of these, you are vulnerable to claims, fines and prosecutions, due to poor health and safety management.