Failure to report accidents or near misses results in putting colleagues at risk and leaving employers open to prosecution for breaches of health and safety regulations.
City & Guilds, which has launched a drive to encourage good working practices, has found that 80 per cent of SME employees believe that up to a quarter of accidents are not reported to line managers.
The severity of accidents varies, but five per cent of employees have witnessed an injury to the hand or finger – such as cutting or even losing a finger on a steel saw – while in the workplace.
The number of major injuries sustained while handling, lifting or carrying, has also increased by 12 per cent in 2004/2005. Unsurprisingly, 14 per cent of employees do not believe their workplace is safe.
According to Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, minister for health and safety, poor health and safety management costs the UK economy over £10bn each year
While many employers are taking their duties seriously, nearly one in ten (nine per cent) employers state that although health and safety is important to them, it isn’t a priority – despite the fact that a conviction could cost them their business.
The average fine for an Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conviction in 2004-2005 was £8,368 and nearly one third (29 per cent) of SME employers stated that a fine of £8,000 or more could seriously affect their ability to trade, or close the business.
Businesses can face fines and prosecution even when an accident has not taken place. Berkshire-based Bracknell Fireworks was fined £28,000 by the HSE in March 2005 when inspectors found boxes of damaged fireworks were leaking explosive material, even though no accident occurred.
Two-thirds of manufacturing SMEs (69 per cent) are already taking the initiative to prevent HSE breaches by offering training to their staff as part of the working day. But there is room for improvement, with almost one in five employees (17 per cent) expressing a desire for health and safety guidance either in or out of office hours.
Lynne Oliver, manufacturing and working practices specialist at City & Guilds, says: “The survey shows that HSE guidelines are not always adhered to. Safety is the collective responsibility of both employees and businesses and can have serious implications for all involved.”
