Lack of training costing businesses dear
April 1st 2008

British businesses are losing £250 a second in costs and payouts for needless accidents in the workplace according to a survey undertaken by The British Safety Council.

Millions of British men and women are at risk at work today because of a lack of safety training, the biggest survey ever carried out by the British Safety Council (BSC) has revealed.

BSC bosses were shocked to find that half of all employers (51%) had not even bothered to offer training, despite the fact that they could be saving billions of pounds in payouts and costs. One worker is still being killed every working day and one person is injured almost every minute.

The BSC's survey, 'Safe and Sound?' found that 62% of workers had received little or no health and safety training from their employers. Workers in the construction industry or small and medium sized companies are those most at risk.

The BSC believes that simple basic training should be provided to all employees, and should be ongoing. The BSC works with businesses to help them to understand and follow health and safety regulations and to train staff.

Last year in Britain six million days were lost due to workplace injury - and 241 people were killed the highest-recorded overall figure since 2001/2. That equates to one death at work every working day.

The annual bill for employers in payouts and costs for accidents and injuries at work is £7.8 billion which is the equivalent of £250 a second.

And with a cost to the overall economy of £31.8 billion, the health and safety risk is costing the nation £1000 every second, or £500 for every man, woman and child per year.

That's the equivalent of 10 brand new hospitals every year.

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