The importance of occupational health and safety

Occupational health and safety laws are essential for protecting your employees, customers and the wider public from workplace dangers. In 2019, 9,335 non-fatal injuries were reported to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), with 47 fatal work-related accidents recorded in the same year, an increase from 2018’s record-low figure of 39. However, the HSA did find that the amount of work-related injuries recorded for 2018 was below the five-year average. The CSO‘s Labour Force Survey module data found that 620,800 days were lost due to work-related injuries in 2018, down from the five-year average of 709,544. In addition, 822,300 days were lost due to work-related illnesses, a figure lower than the five-year average of 938,521. To continue lowering and preventing workplace injuries and fatalities, your organisation must adhere to vital health and safety legislation that applies to your industry. Implementing an occupational health and safety management system that meets internationally recognised ISO 45001 standard can help your business ensure compliance with workplace health and safety regulations. Occupational health and safety in the workplace

Essential health and safety legislation

Health and safety legislation protects employees, customers and the public from workplace dangers. It is important that you understand your legal responsibilities as an employer. Key workplace health and safety legislation includes:

Additional health and safety legislation for Ireland includes:

Employer’s responsibilities for occupational health and safety

The SHWWA 2005 outlines your general duties as an employer, including:

  • Conducting everyday work activities that ensure the safety of your employees.
  • Preventing improper conduct or behaviour in the workplace that could put an employee at risk.
  • Providing relevant information, instructions, and training to your employees, so they have adequate knowledge of your organisation’s health and safety policies.
  • Determining if new or additional measures are required to further safeguard employees.
  • Reporting accidents and dangerous incidents to the relevant authority.
  • Implementing necessary measures when potential hazards are identified and completing a corresponding risk assessment.

Why health and safety at work is important

Improving your occupational health and safety standards – such as through the use of an ISO 45001 certified occupational health and safety management system – can have several benefits in addition to controlling the risk of harm to staff. Health and safety compliance audit

Complying with health and safety laws

Complying with current regulations means your organisation can avoid hefty penalties. This means keeping your health and safety standards under constant review and improving where needed. This helps your organisation prepare for a health and safety audit. HSA inspectors complete annual health and safety compliance audits to check organisations are adhering to health and safety laws. Failure to comply with the SHWWA 2005 legislation may result in an improvement or prohibition notice. Serious breaches may incur legal action, which may result in fines or prison sentences.

Reduce costs

Implementing an occupational health and safety management system could reduce business insurance premiums and any potential compensation claims as a result of workplace accidents. Actively investing in protective measures, equipment, and training could reduce costs for your organisation in the long run, as you’ve invested in ensuring that your health and safety management systems are updated and adequate for your business needs. Additionally, decreasing employee absentee rates can increase overall productivity and reduce costs associated with downtime, wastage and less efficient operations.

Read our guide on how to reduce your energy costs with ISO 50001.

Boost employee morale

Showing that your business cares about employee welfare can positively impact the overall morale and safety culture within an organisation. Employee morale can be enhanced if staff understand how your organisation actively takes steps to protect health and safety.

Boosted business reputation

Poor health and safety standards may result in high absentee rates and legislative breaches, such as action by authorities or legal claims made by employees who have been harmed. These incidents may damage your organisation’s image and reputation with customers and result in lost business. On the other hand, your organisation can enhance its reputation with proactive occupational health and safety measures. Your organisation’s reputation could increase further if you gain certification in occupational health and safety standards such as ISO 45001. Some large corporations and government bodies require certification in ISO 45001 to apply for a business tender or contract.

ISO 45001

ISO 45001 certification can help you achieve an internationally-recognised standard in occupational health and safety. We offer a globally recognised ISO 45001 certification. ISO 45001 shows that your organisation has a robust and effective occupational health and safety management system in place that can:

  • Deploy appropriate measures that improve your organisation’s health and safety performance.
  • Minimise the likelihood of risks occurring in the workplace.
  • Identify existing or potential hazards and act on them swiftly with appropriate measures.
  • Reduce employee absentee rates.

Our expert assessors will help your organisation audit your occupational health and safety management systems to determine whether it meets the required standards for ISO 45001 certification. Contact our team for a free, no-obligation quote that matches your occupational health and safety requirements.

Occupational health and safety guide

Keep up to date with our latest news!

Social
Share

Related ISO Certifications

ISO 9001 - Quality Management

ISO 9001

Quality Management System ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised global standard for Quality Management Systems. It confirms an organisation’s commitment

ISO 14001 - Environmental Management System

ISO 14001

Environmental Management System ISO 14001 standard is the global standard for organisations wanting to demonstrate their environmental credentials. It

ISO 45001 - Occupational Health and Safety

ISO 45001

Occupational Health and Safety ISO 45001 is an international standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety

ISO 50001 - Energy Management Systems

ISO 50001

Energy Management Systems ISO 50001 is a global standard for organisations looking to improve their energy management

ISO 27001 - Information Security Management Systems

ISO 27001

Information Security Management Systems ISO 27001 is the international standard for managing risks related to the security

ISO 22301 - Business Continuity Management Systems

ISO 22301

Business Continuity Management Systems ISO 22301 is the business continuity management system (BCMS) standard. It provides a framework that

ISO 20000-1 - IT Service Management Systems

ISO 20000-1

IT Service Management Systems ISO 20000-1 Service Management is the international standard for quality management specifically focused on IT

ISO 13485 - Medical Device

ISO 13485

Medical Devices ISO 13485 is a globally recognised quality standard that identifies the requirements of a quality management system

ISO 27701 - Personal Information Management System

ISO 27701

Privacy Information Management Systems ISO 27701 is the global standard for Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS), also known as

Personal Information Management System - BS 10012

BS 10012

Personal Information Management System BS 10012 provides a framework for a Personal Information Management System standard, helping you maintain

ISO 27017 - Clour data protection

ISO 27017

Cloud Data Protection ISO 27017 is the global standard used by organisations to strengthen their current cloud data protection

Cyber Essentials - Certification Europe

Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials Cyber Essentials is a globally recognised IT security standard developed by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, which is

ISO 20121 - Event sustainability management systems

ISO 20121

Event Sustainability Management Systems ISO 20121 is an internationally recognised standard for event sustainability management systems. It provides organisations

Previous
Next

Recent Insights

Previous
Next