Health and safety should be paramount to any business – even SMEs – according to one of the principal suppliers of pallet trucks, weighing scale trucks, and lift platforms in the UK.
Midland Pallet Trucks supplies equipment that helps businesses ease the pressure on workers. Working with businesses of all sizes and in all sectors, the experts at Midland Pallet Trucks have explained why SMEs in particular need to know about health and safety law.
Running a small or medium sized business can be tough. Small margins on products and services mean that money can be tight. And as a result, cutting corners can seem more appealing. Although sometimes it’s okay to not quite play by the book, when it comes to health and safety, not following rules and legislation can lead to disaster in the pocket. Last year, for example, it was estimated that in the UK, the cost associated with workplace accidents was £4.9bn per year. And while this is going to hit big businesses, small and medium sized businesses often struggle to recover.
Speaking about health and safety negligence, Phil Chesworth, managing director of Midland Bearings, said, “It’s no secret that the costs of workplace injury has a huge effect on businesses, but despite legislation outlining guidelines to help businesses keep employees safe, the fact is that thousands of workers in the UK end up off work due to these legislations not being followed.”
Another reason SMEs need to keep up to date with health and safety law is to ensure sufficient staffing levels. Should an employee fall ill or be off work for a long period due to injury, this can have a knock-on effect on a small business. Causing a gap or hole in the staff force, productivity can reduce – or even come to a standstill – until they return.
The final reason SMEs need to keep an eye on health and safety is reputation. Although true for every business, reputation really is everything for a small company. Small and medium sized businesses rely on word of mouth to survive a lot of the time, and should they hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, this can have a knock-on effect for their revenue.
Midland Pallet Trucks specialises in providing robust equipment for workplaces. Making life easier – and safer – for employees, their stellar range has become monumental for businesses looking to streamline and adhere to health and safety rules.
