Do I really need to bother with health and safety?

The subject of health and safety may be perceived as having different implications for large and small organisations, but the legal requirement to provide a safe working environment is absolute for all employers.

Accidents and illness cause a great deal of personal pain and suffering for individuals, as well as financial difficulty for families. Employers have to provide temporary cover during staff absence and can lose money as a result of disrupted business activities.

The indirect costs caused by the loss of customers and business opportunites, especially for the self employed or small business proprietor, can also lead to hardship.