A change of perspective

Well known organisations, such as Nestle and Arco, are viewing safety and health way beyond compliance with legislation and as a genuine investment that offers a sustainable business advantage.

Jan Chmiel, chief executive at IOSH, said: "A safer work environment is, of course, a moral imperative. However, those organisations who seek to put safety and health at the heart of their business - through management systems that go beyond compliance with legislation - find it has huge benefits for their reputation, productivity and results.”

According to IOSH, many organisations are finding that by improving safety and health practices they enjoy a happier and more confident work force. This in turn leads on to valuable business benefits, such as:

• Increased productivity and profits
• An improved reputation among suppliers, clients and partners
• Reduced insurance premiums and legal costs
• A reduction in accident rates, absence and sick leave
• Better business continuity
  

The organisations that are set to benefit the most are those where safety and health is led from the top. In other words, if those in leadership roles recognise it as an investment and not a cost, then it can be embedded more effectively into the corporate culture.

Leading safely - designed specifically for leaders

To help those with leadership responsibility understand how they can gain the best results from an investment in safety and health, IOSH has developed a new course, in partnership with business leaders. It is designed to provide the practical knowledge and solutions they need to embed good safety and health at the core of how they do business.

IOSH launched the course, Leading safely, at the Safety & Health Expo in London on 16-18 June. Leading safely is tailored to different needs and industries, and its short format - five hours classroom time or three hours classroom, plus one hour e-learning - makes it suitable for busy senior leaders.

Richard Orton, IOSH’s executive director - commercial, said: "We feel that anyone with leadership responsibility, no matter the size of their organisation, will find Leading safely will help them recognise the true value of successful safety and health performance.”

The course has already been successfully piloted with industry leaders, with participants convinced that it will make a difference to their organisation.

"It’s an excellent course - full of relevant material and pitched just right for leaders,” said Chris Claypole, managing director of Site Service Engineering. "It has reminded me of my safety and health responsibilities and brought home the need for me to get out more on site visits, to talk to the team and understand the challenges and opportunities. I want to build a culture of care in my business, and that needs to start with me.”

"I see it as an investment for the future,” said Gareth Edwards, area manager for Nestle UK. "I’ll tailor how I work on a day to day basis to modify the way I behave and the topics I’ll talk about with my team.”

IOSH says it is assuring the quality of the delegate experience by specifying that chartered, professional expertise is the minimum standard required to deliver Leading safely.

"This course enables me to show directors and managers that if they pay proper attention to safety and health, their business performance can improve,” said Craig Foyle, chartered fellow and director at Foyle Safety and Management.

Leaders interested in booking a place on the course with one of IOSH’s registered training providers can visit www.iosh.co.uk/leadingsafely - and learn how embedding safety and health deep into their organisation’s culture improves business performance in the long term.