Workplace safety is a big issue in the UK. You could even make the case that we take workplace safety more seriously than most countries around the world. A myriad of legislation and regulatory schemes cover just about every safety-related topic you could think of. But at the end of the day, can the typical British workplace ever be 100% safe?
At home, you and your family may sit around the dining table talking about safety issues. You may lose sleep at night because you can’t stop wondering what would happen to your family if you were ever injured and couldn’t work.
We implement workplace safety regulations hoping to prevent as many work-related accidents and illnesses as possible. We encourage employers to find out more about safety equipment, safety-related products, and general safety policies and procedures. But despite our best efforts, things still happen. It is part of life.
A Nation of Regulations
Whether you are happy about it or not, the UK is a nation of regulations. The most sweeping regulations pertaining to workplace safety are the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations implemented in 1992. They are fairly comprehensive in scope and application.
To give you an idea of just how comprehensive they are, here are the first five entries on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website pertaining to the “law on workplace safety”:
Employers must ensure their buildings are in good repair.
They must maintain the workplace and any equipment in safe working conditions.
They must immediately address dangerous defects, taking steps to protect anyone at risk.
They must take precautions to prevent accidents caused by falling materials.
They must prevent falls among workers by fencing or covering floor openings.
There are over three-dozen additional entries on the HSE website. Moreover, each entry is general in nature. Dig into the details and you will discover an almost unimaginable amount of information. Needless to say, there are plenty of rules employers must follow to ensure employee health and wellbeing.
If the Rules Didn’t Exist
From the employee’s perspective, all the government’s health and safety regulations can seem onerous and overly restrictive. But think of the alternative. Imagine what the typical UK workplace might look like if there were no rules. We would like to believe that employers would still do right by their employees, taking steps to keep them safe. But how many actually would?
Workplace injuries and illnesses are a reality. They occur even with the regulations in place. But it is reasonable to assume that we would see far more incidents if there were no rules. So with that in mind, having some level of legal mandates in place is probably a good idea.
Workplace Safety Is a Mindset
At the core of all our workplace safety regulations is the understanding that safety is a mindset. The rules themselves are simply a means to an end. Regulators want and expect employers to be safety minded. Likewise, employers need their employees to adopt a safety-first mindset.
Regulations are put in place to encourage such a mindset. They are necessary because human beings are forgetful. We get so wrapped up in what we do that it is easy to forget safety. And when we are under pressure to get the job done
quickly, safety can go right out the window. Regulators protect us from forgetfulness and carelessness by giving us ironclad rules to follow.
Does that mean accidents will not happen? No. Does it mean people will never suffer work-related injuries and illnesses? No.
The Reality of Workplace Safety
The reality of workplace safety is that no workplace can be 100% safe. Safety data bears that out. According to CIPD:
Employers lost 35.2 million working days to work-related illnesses and injuries in 2022-23.
Work-related stress, anxiety, and depression accounted for 24 million of those lost working days.
Employee sickness absences are at the highest level since 2010.
Some 76% of UK employees report stress-related absences.
While stress and anxiety may not seem like workplace safety issues, CIPD seems to imply that they are. Their position is that mental health is as vulnerable as physical health. If that is the case, then workplace safety initiatives should include policies and procedures designed to protect mental and physical wellbeing at the same time.
Safety From the Employee’s Perspective
It is clear that regulations require certain things from employers. Employee safety and wellbeing must be a priority under the law. But what about the employee’s perspective?
Employees have an obligation to themselves to think and work safely. When rules and regulations govern how they work, employees should follow rather than ignoring them. Where there is room for improvement, employees should make their voices heard. Regulations require that employers listen to employee feedback. So to a certain extent, employees can be their own best advocates.
No workplace can be 100% safe. But workplaces can be safer than they once were, thanks to regulations implemented to protect workers.