Are you just sticking a plaster on Health and Safety?

A business owner has so much to think about.... paying suppliers, paying employees, satisfying work providers, satisfying customers, ticking boxes for standards, training employees and getting equipment serviced and the list goes on.....

In the past I have offered free advice, free consultation and free compliance programmes, with no up take- so maybe everyone has health and safety covered? Maybe people believe having another external standard protects them?

It is a fact that people who feel safe and supported will perform better, will be more motivated, feel valued and appreciated, and are less likely to move on. Quality goes hand in hand with health and safety - two sides of the same coin so to speak. If you cut corners in quality to get quick results and your bonus you will do the same for health and safety, but the consequences are far more serious including ill health, injury, other loss and even death.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have a cycle of sectors they focus on and Automotive is way overdue. This includes garages, bodyshops and smart repair.... It is coming. The last time we focused on it was over 15 years ago when we focused on Isocyanates and I remember working closely with the HSE and HSL on a project.

The focus will be on ill health such as vibration white finger, dermatitis and asthma, as well as any other issues such as manual handling, lifting equipment and EV's. Having worked with businesses that have had the inspector call it isn't a quick fix to react and satisfy the HSE that you are doing something about it. It takes time and effort, and sometimes money.

Some businesses think it won't happen to me, I've been ok so far etc. Even if they don't come to you, it takes a disgruntled employee or ex employee to report you and it happens, H&S is the path of least resistance, even at an employment tribunal H&S is king!

Outsourcing anything can be a good thing if you lack time or expertise but YOU still need to be involved. YOU still need to know why and what the impact is when YOU don't do something, because your Consultant may not be there when the Inspectors calls. Your consultant should be competent and know about your sector and what you do. I have heard some scary stories about people auditing Automotive without having ever worked in it and giving incorrect advice.

In the olden days and yes I remember them...I've been "doing" health and safety for 32 years and working in Automotive over 20 of them, we used to have Fire Certificates and regular visits from the Local Fire Officer, we had visits from the Local Authority for your permit to respray road vehicles which were risk rated, we had to register under the Office, Shops and Railways Premises Act or Factories Act. All these things have gone which have led to complacency and apathy.

Don't think of health and safety as being lots of rules which get in the way of doing your job, see health and safety as something that can benefit your business and your employees, yes it is a legal obligation and you have a moral obligation too, to protect employees. Health and Safety is unique in as such as there can be civil and criminal repercussions if something goes wrong.

See health and safety as something that can improve performance and retention. When it becomes routine it becomes easier and second nature, the same as servicing or repairing a vehicle. It should be an integral part of every day life at work. It should be intertwined with external standards.

Don't be caught out now or in the future, protect your greatest assets - the people who work in your business, and don't forget its not just the physical hazards that you need to protect people from. Even biological hazards exist in Automotive, and of course mental health challenges too. It is a legal requirement to include mental health in your first aid needs assessment.

Be prepared, plan and protect your business now and the people in it. Choose wisely who you get to do it and find out what they can do. A good consultant will help you sort it and not just walk away giving you a massive list to action in their absence. They will know your sector inside out and learn about your business too. They will catch people doing things right and dispel the perceived negativity around health and safety, audits and inspections.