The Benefits of a Positive Safety Culture

It is widely known that occupational health and safety is essential and obviously serves to secure workspaces to reduce accidents. However, several indirect benefits of a good OHS culture do exist and are not frequently discussed.

Among these advantages, we find some that are directly related to the commercial success of a company. Indeed, a good OHS culture is often a sign of business success. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), here is what explains this relation: When a company has good occupational health and safety practices, it shows current and potential customers that it is socially responsible. The good OHS culture improves the brand image of the company. Nothing is more distressing than seeing a company you like be directly responsible for one or more accidents at its facilities, as a result of poor management of workplace safety. A company that pays attention to the health and safety of its employees undoubtedly maximizes the productivity and engagement of its workers, since they are grateful for their good treatment. In addition, a good OHS culture helps prevent the loss of employees and all the disruptions associated with it, as explained in our blog on the cost of non-safety.

According to Leipziger (2001): “There is a clear and direct relationship between the social behaviours of a corporation and its reputation, sales, brand and indeed overall value. This correlation (and these consequences) get stronger as both the size of the business and the value of the brand increase.”

A company with a positive OHS culture established in its facilities will be able to outperform its competitors since OHS performance is often summed up by a good brand image and a good reputation.

For SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), a strong OHS culture is also important. According to the EU-OSHA, 60% of SMEs will have to close their doors if they are victims of more than 9 days of disruption related to an accident.

If you need our expertise or advice to improve your company’s OHS culture, do not hesitate to contact us.

References:

EU-OSHA, The Business Benefits of Good Occupational Safety and Health, 2008