Health and Safety Not Neglected During Recession, Says CIOB Research
If results of a new Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) research are to be believed, then the recession has not had any significant effect on health and safety standards in workplaces across Britain. At least 85% of high-ranking employees in the construction industry believe that health and safety standards in their company are as well maintained as they were before the recession.
About 35% of the 1,260 employees who were part of the research said that expenditure on health and safety (training included) has increased since the end of 2008, and just 12.6% believed that companies have decreased their expenditure on the same.
A quarter of employees interviewed believe that health and safety have not been prioritized in their company. However, a significant 69% of the respondents said that their company is taking serious note of health and safety.
Training on health and safety and increased awareness of the same were considered by many to be the most important requirements in organizations, so that safety standards can be improved.
The respondents also said that the UK’s occupational health and safety executive agency, the HSE, does not possess suitable resources required to conduct its activities systematically. According to them, HSE should be more actively involved in providing advice and support to workers and organizations, and should conduct more surprise checks to see that businesses (particularly the small and medium-sized ones) are doing enough to ensure health and safety of their workers.
For training and support for organisations in attaining their health and safety objectives, click on NEBOSH Distance, to learn about the importance of promoting a positive health and safety culture in the workplace environment and for information on the web-based training programme from Workplace Law leading to the award of the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health.
