Why Safety Consultancy is Essential for Your Organisation

Why Safety Consultancy is Essential for Your Organisation

There were 53 workplace fatalities and 7,417 non-fatal incidents in 2020, according to most recent figures from the Health and Safety Authority. The majority of victims in these cases were employees.

How can we work towards reducing these numbers?

The key is to implement comprehensive health and safety practices in all workplaces. Workplace safety consultancy services are an efficient way to address your organisation’s health and safety needs holistically.

What does this service involve?

If you avail of a safety consultancy service, your organisation may be subject to a number of procedures, including::

  • Risk assessment
  • Workplace audits, which involves assessing facets of the workplace including working conditions, equipment, work practices, worker records
  • Provision of a safety statement based on workplace audit and risk assessment 

There are also a number of industry-specific services that we can can provide, for example  traffic management for construction sites and also for workplaces where there is a need to manage pedestrian and vehicular traffic, both internally and externally.

 

What are the benefits of engaging Ayrton to assist you with your workplace safety requirements?

 

  • Receive expert advice from experienced professionals

This is a key benefit, particularly if you do not have the sufficient in-house knowledge and capabilities. Consultants have the expertise necessary to offer a comprehensive service to assist the organisation to produce the highest level of health and safety and ensure the organisation fulfils all of its legal obligations. As they are within the safety industry full-time, they will have their finger on the pulse of any changes in legislation and best practices, and will ensure that even the finest of details are addressed.

 

  • Get an unbiased perspective of your organisation

An external health and safety consultant can offer an objective view of your organisation, without having their perspective skewed by existing knowledge of the business and its workforce. This will also provide further assurance that no stone is left unturned when it comes to your organisation’s safety.

 

  • Help prevent work-related injuries

Consultants can highlight risks and hazards and provide methods to address them. Monitoring the workplace in this manner has been associated with decreased injury and illness. (Source

According to the ESRI, those who have been in a role for less than six months are four times as likely to have been injured in their workplace than those who have been in their role for over five years. This indicates the importance of health and safety training and monitoring for employees from day one. (Source) That being said, health and safety should be a priority when it comes to workers of any length of tenure. In fact, workers aged 65 and over, who are generally more experienced, had the highest number of fatal work accidents in 2020. (Source)

Preventing injuries has a positive outcome for the wider organisation as well as the employees, particularly due to reduced absences. In 2019, there were “486,000 days lost due to work-related injuries”. These absences can have a detrimental effect on productivity, and can incur costs such as compensation payments and the cost of hiring replacement staff. (Source) (Source) Moreover, injuries or illnesses induced by poor workplace safety may undermine the company’s reputation, or decrease staff morale. (Source)

 

  • Work towards legislative compliance

The Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act of 2005 governs workplace health and safety in Ireland. The act states that every employer has an obligation to ensure the safety of their employees. Employers in Ireland are also legally obligated to assign at least one person to oversee workplace health and safety.

Safety consultants will provide you with the guidance and materials needed to comply with legislation. For example, Section 20 of the act sets out the requirement for each workplace to have a safety statement. This document, which can be provided as part of the workplace consultancy process, acts as a reference for the employer and employees with regards to specific policies, procedures, equipment and responsibilities.

 

  • Gain increased trust and motivation from employees

By availing of a health and safety consultancy service, you will demonstrate your commitment to your staff’s wellbeing. This can help employees feel more valued, and increase the trust in the employer-employee relationship. Employees will also feel motivated to uphold health and safety procedures if they see that their employer is making progress in this area. (Source

Ayrton can provide full-time and ad-hoc safety consultants to provide solutions tailored to your business needs. Catering to organisations across all sectors, our expert team leverages decades of combined field and training experience to work on projects of all sizes. We can provide a suite of resources to businesses ensuring not just legislative compliance and reductions in accidents but real, measurable improvements. 

Contact us today to find out more.

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