Safety is a topic that when placed on the agenda of a meeting is more often than not met with moans, groans and an expectation of boredom.

It is not seen by many as the most exciting area of management and may therefore be one that many individuals and organisations could be tempted only to pay lip service to.

However, can you honestly say that you are aware of the responsibilities that are placed on your organisation and, perhaps of even greater relevance, upon you as an individual when it comes to health and safety legislation?

Consider this scenario. You are a manager of a group of staff working overtime at the weekend. You are the most senior person on site at the time. The lights flicker and there is a shout for help. One of the team has been electrocuted while boiling the kettle. They are rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

The police arrive shortly after the ambulance and although they ask a few questions about whether or not there is a risk assessment in place and whether the fault had been reported, no action is taken. On leaving they advise you to contact the Health & Safety Unit but you decide that this can wait until Monday.

That evening, you recall that, a couple of weeks earlier, someone had mentioned that the kettle was "playing up" and that the "PAT" (Portable Appliance Testing) re-test date had expired some months ago.

On Monday morning two officers of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are on site and ask you to meet them. They inform you that a member of your staff has died and, after a few questions, they issue you with a formal caution. You feel like a common criminal and fear the worst, especially as the likely charges include five breaches of the law.

Breach 1: Failure to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk

Breach 2: Failure to take appropriate controls

Breach 3: Failure to ensure the safety of electrical equipment

Breach 4: Failure to notify the HSE

Breach 5: Failure to ensure the safety of an employee by omission

The potential penalty at a Magistrates Court (or equivalent in Scotland) is a fine of up to £25,000 and up to six months in prison. If the case is referred to a Crown Court the fine is unlimited and the prison sentence can be up to two years. In either court, if you as an individual are found guilty, you will receive a criminal record.

The above example may sound a bit extreme but clearly it is good management practice to ensure that you and your colleagues are aware of your responsibilities. It is also a good idea to regularly review policy and think about attitudes towards safety in your organisation.

LEGAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Health & Safety at Work Act has been around for almost 30 years. More recently, the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and a whole host of supporting acts and regulations, many of which are highly specific, have been incorporated to result in a complex and far reaching statutory framework.

This is a specialist area and one that we will not go into in any detail in this article. Here we are concerned with, not the specifics of the legislation but with how to nurture an effective safety culture within an organisation.

THE COST OF INJURY AT WORK AND WORK-RELATED ABSENCE

According to the HSE, in 2001-02 there were 249 fatalities involving employees at work, plus 27,000 major injuries and 127,000 injuries that led to three or more days absence from work.

Adding together absence from injury at work to that from work-related illness results in an estimated loss of over 30 million days' work per year. Successful prosecutions by the HSE in 2001-02 totalled almost 1,500 with an average fine of over £8,000.

BUT DOESN'T SAFETY COST MONEY?

Providing the highest levels of safety management and employee training may cost money but this should not inevitably lead to a negative view of the whole idea. Health & Safety should not be a begrudged expense as the rewards are almost certain to outweigh the costs:

The cost of an accident at work can be significant. This includes lost time - when the accident occurs everything stops, sick pay ñ if the accident leads to absence, loss of productivity and loss of morale. This is without the repercussions that a more serious accident can bring in terms of investigation, remedial action and, at worst, prosecution. Most leading organisations have realised that safety can prove to be a key business tool that offers a genuine competitive advantage.

Further benefits of a positive and successful policy can include a reduction in insurance premiums, improved morale / productivity, reduced staff turnover and may even provide a recruitment incentive if an organisation gains a reputation for being a 'leader' in safety within it's sector.

THE ëDU PONT' CONCEPT

Most of you will have heard of Du Pont, the giant US based Science Group.

Originally the company manufactured explosives so, as you can imagine, right from the very start, safety was built into their corporate culture.

This is still a core belief as the company actively strives to maintain a culture focussed on the achievement of "World Class Safety" levels.

This in turn is closely linked to business performance where Du Pont believes that safety is a major factor contributing to consistent business success.

It estimates that the cost of accidents in its organisation is better than the average for their industry ñ so much so as to save over £16 million per year, which falls straight onto the bottom line.

While it is clear that the produce industry is nowhere near as involved as or as potentially dangerous as a multi national chemical / energy corporation there are still plenty of areas in the supply chain ñ from field to packhouse, to supermarket shelf, where plenty of scope for accidents and serious injury exist.

Du Pont's 10 core safety values have a universal application and form a sound base on which to develop a safety culture. These are:

• All injuries and occupational illnesses are preventable ñ A goal of achieving an injury free workplace should be talked about, understood and believed

• Everyone is responsible for safety ñ Everyone should be routinely involved in safety and managers should display a special responsibility for the safety of those who report to them

• Safety is a condition of employment ñ Poor safety practice should be viewed in a similar manner to poor customer service or poor timekeeping. No one should put themselves or colleagues in danger

• It is no use hoping ñ Safety needs training. There should be a comprehensive and continuous process to ensure that all staff have the skills needed to carry out their jobs safely. Good luck can be earned

• Never stop checking how you are doing ñ Regular checks of practice, discussions with staff and listening to suggestions will ensure continuous improvement

• Everyone has the right to challenge anyone ñ There should be no fear of challenging unsafe working practices and staff should expect action to be taken where appropriate

• There are no "minor" injuries ñ Data on all incidents and injuries should be collected and communicated in a meaningful way. If there are regular "minor" injuries then sooner or later someone will be seriously hurt

• Safety on the job is only half the story ñ Injury that occurs away from work still hurts and still leads to absence so safety at home should also feature in the training and awareness programme

• All staff members are vital to success ñ If the organisation really believes that people are an important asset then what message is given if no care is shown for their safety, or if it is implied that some staff are less valued than others?

• Never let yourself feel like you have cracked it ñ Even if there have been no accidents or incidents for a while it is important to focus on the future and also, where there is change, help staff to understand changes in the level of risk.

In summary, the adoption of a safety culture can be a worthwhile investment that can provide a real return on expenditure.

Addressed properly it can be used to demonstrate a powerful combination of leadership, empowerment and trust that can genuinely lead to improved performance and profitability.

Perhaps it is time that the industry as a whole reviewed its collective attitude to safety. l