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09/10/2008
Inspections Will Cut Accident Risks For Businesses
Local businesses are to benefit from advice on how to reduce the risk of accidents in the workplace.
The aim is to help them reduce absenteeism as a result of workplace accidents and lower insurance premiums. Environmental officers from Belfast City Council are carrying out a series of inspections as part of a European Week for Safety and Health at Work (20-26 October)
"Every year, millions of workers in the EU are involved in accidents which force them to stay at home for at least 3 working days at an enormous cost to the economy. Risk assessment is the key to reducing these figures," said Jennifer Murphy, Principle Environmental Health Officer of Belfast City Council.
"With the Healthy Workplaces campaign we want to encourage enterprises to carry out risk assessment properly, involving everyone in the workplace. Risk assessment is not necessarily complicated, bureaucratic or a task only for experts. There are plenty of tools available (such as checklists) that can help in the process. Proper risk assessment also brings a number of business benefits, because making workplaces safer and healthier helps to reduce absenteeism and insurance costs, and increases worker motivation and productivity."
During the European Week for Safety and Health at Work , which is part of a two year Europe wide campaign 'Healthy Workplaces: Good for you. Good for business' council officers will be carrying out inspections in local business outlets with a specific emphasis on risk assessment.
In particular, inspectors will be looking at risks associated with the employment of vulnerable workers such as young and migrant workers, as these groups are recognised as being more at risk of workplace accidents and ill health.
It is hoped that this campaign will help demystify risk assessment and, in particular, to reduce the risk of accidents and ill health in relation to vulnerable workers.
Europe launched 'Healthy Workplaces: Good for you. Good for business' after revealing that 5,720 people die in the European Union every year as a consequence of work related accidents with an estimated further 159,500 deaths from occupational diseases.
(JM/KMcA)
The aim is to help them reduce absenteeism as a result of workplace accidents and lower insurance premiums. Environmental officers from Belfast City Council are carrying out a series of inspections as part of a European Week for Safety and Health at Work (20-26 October)
"Every year, millions of workers in the EU are involved in accidents which force them to stay at home for at least 3 working days at an enormous cost to the economy. Risk assessment is the key to reducing these figures," said Jennifer Murphy, Principle Environmental Health Officer of Belfast City Council.
"With the Healthy Workplaces campaign we want to encourage enterprises to carry out risk assessment properly, involving everyone in the workplace. Risk assessment is not necessarily complicated, bureaucratic or a task only for experts. There are plenty of tools available (such as checklists) that can help in the process. Proper risk assessment also brings a number of business benefits, because making workplaces safer and healthier helps to reduce absenteeism and insurance costs, and increases worker motivation and productivity."
During the European Week for Safety and Health at Work , which is part of a two year Europe wide campaign 'Healthy Workplaces: Good for you. Good for business' council officers will be carrying out inspections in local business outlets with a specific emphasis on risk assessment.
In particular, inspectors will be looking at risks associated with the employment of vulnerable workers such as young and migrant workers, as these groups are recognised as being more at risk of workplace accidents and ill health.
It is hoped that this campaign will help demystify risk assessment and, in particular, to reduce the risk of accidents and ill health in relation to vulnerable workers.
Europe launched 'Healthy Workplaces: Good for you. Good for business' after revealing that 5,720 people die in the European Union every year as a consequence of work related accidents with an estimated further 159,500 deaths from occupational diseases.
(JM/KMcA)
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