Speaking to Safety Bytes, Mr McGettrick said there is a “huge link” between good levels of workplace safety and high levels of productivity.
“The benefits of good workplace health and safety include low levels of accidents, absenteeism and improved staff morale,” he added.
“So the benefits of better workplace health and safety can really have a big impact on improving productivity, reducing production delays and improving profits for the company.
“Businesses can make the mistake of assuming that to improve productivity, you have to sacrifice other elements, such as safety. In fact, the opposite is true. “Evidence suggests that good businesses that have a good positive health and safety culture and are well run, are also very well performing economically as well.”
In fact, he points out that recent studies show a return of investment in health and safety of around £1 in £10.
“For every pound you spend [on health and safety], you get £10 back whether that’s through reduced costs or getting more out of people,” said Mr McGettrick.
“It’s a no brainer. Businesses should be investing in health and safety, because it has a huge business benefit and should not be seen as a cost that can be cut when the bottom line needs to be improved.”
Watch the full interview here.
For more from Peter McGettrick, read this SHP interview with him about leadership, shortly after he joined Turner and Townsend.
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No but, yes but, no but, that has always been the business case for any employer to be more parental than predatory but, you would have thought over the years that, that was so counter intuitive, regardless of the significant return on investment in terms of performance and productivity, in many cases, greater then net or even gross profit margins, common sense would prevail but, no. Maybe signing up to having the concept of shifting their mind-set from flogging dead horses to recognising the lost productivity in presenteeism directly linked to over-exposure to optimal “Work Exposure Limits”, in their face,… Read more »