A campaign to persuade employers that it makes good business sense, as well as being good for employees, to manage health and safety sensibly has been launched by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
It is citing a range of companies that have applied a managed approach, including making active use of OH, and reaped the benefits in terms of improved profitability.
Examples being highlighted include Rolls-Royce, which has saved 11m through an absence management policy, reducing absence by around 15% and stress-related absence to just 16%.
Others include British Polythene Industries, which, after introducing a rehabilitation scheme, saw a more than 80% reduction in the number of working days lost to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Severn Trent is also recognised for reducing its accidents level by nearly half, and the proportion of those attributable to MSDs from 75% to about 20%. This led to sharp decrease in days lost through absence and an anticipated reduction in civil liability claims, said the HSE.
Minister for work Jane Kennedy said: “The reductions in days lost through ill-health that some have achieved pay off financially and should encourage other businesses to follow their example.”
HSE director general, Timothy Walker, added: “Managing health and safety cannot be viewed in isolation from managing a business overall.”
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