The government’s health and safety laws don’t always have the best reputation as many people are concerned that certain laws are putting too much red tape around the construction industry.  However, health and safety laws are actually there to protect both employers and employees, and can not only save lives but also businesses.  We have all seen an increase in the number of personal accident solicitor adverts on television and radio recently, which is why all tradesmen need to take health and safety laws seriously…

Health & Safety: Protecting People

The main reason that health and safety laws were introduced in the first place was to protect those working in industries that require manual labour or the use of dangerous equipment.  Those working in the construction industry are often at risk of injuring themselves, however it’s when the injury could have been avoided that things start to get a bit more complicated.  If you are injured on a job then you will probably find that you will have to stop working until you are back in good health, which ultimately leads to a loss of income.  This is why health and safety laws are so important for individuals, as it protects their health as well as their livelihoods.

Health & Safety: Protecting Businesses

As a business owner you have a responsibility to make sure that you provide a safe environment for all your employees to work in.  This means protecting your employees against as many hazards as possible by ensuring that adequate safety measures are put into place.  Naturally, having a place of work that is safe not only benefits employees but also employers as it means that accidents are less likely to happen.  By complying with health and safety laws you will also be protecting your business, as it means that if an accident does happen in the work place you can prove it wasn’t down to your negligence.

Health and Safety Checks

When you start a new business one of the first things you need to do is ensure that the premises you’re based in and equipment your workforce will use is safe.  According to the government’s Health and Safety website, the first thing you should do is perform a thorough inspection of your business and identify all the hazards.  After you have identified the hazards you need to think about risks – mainly the risk of someone being harmed by the hazards that you have identified.  It’s a good idea at this point to talk to your employees and ask if they have spotted any potential hazards or if there is anything that is making them concerned about their safety.  By law, all business owners with more than 5 employees need to perform risk assessments on a regular basis, however it is advisable for those with fewer employees to do the same.

Public Liability Issues

Most people believe that health and safety laws only apply to employers and their employees, however in reality they also cover injuries caused to members of the public.  Tradesmen need to be especially aware of this as due to the nature of their work they are often around members of the public which means that accidents can easily happen.  For example, if a member of the public trips over a piece of equipment and injures themselves they can hold you responsible.  This is why having an extensive tradesmen insurance policy is so important, as it means that you are able to get on with your work without having to worry about accidents occurring.  Public liability insurance can also cover tradesmen if they cause damage to a property during a job, which means you won’t be left struggling to pay expensive repair bills on your own!   If you are interested in getting a quote for tradesmen liability insurance you can fill out an online form today.

Even though some people think that health and safety laws are complicated they are generally quite simple, however it is always best to double check on the government’s Health and Safety website if there is anything you are unsure about.  As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry!