What is the cost of caring about safety?

Well, this question can be explored from two angles, which we are going to do in this blog.

Firstly, what will it cost you to care about, and to take measures to ensure safety. It will cost you the time it takes to review your processes, come up with strategies to improve them, and in some cases, to train your team. This can be a complicated process, as it involves drilling down into the detail of how your business operates, networking with your team, and researching how the safety risks you identify can be rectified.

Caring about safety will also cost money. Implementing safe systems can often involve purchasing new equipment and supplies, whether it be to replace existing equipment that is failing, or in addition to your existing equipment, to make its operation safer. For example, if you were currently using timber pallets to transport components, and you identified that this could pose a risk on the road, you will have to purchase something to replace these timber pallets. Buying steel pallets is obviously more expensive than buying timber, but it is an investment in the health and well-being of not only your team, but the community in general.

While caring about safety isn’t free, it is worth it, as letting unsafe processes continue can cost you more than it would to fix them.

So, to explore this topic from the other angle, what does it cost to not care, and to stay inactive in the area of safety.

The truth is, it can cost you time, money, lives, and the entire reputation of your organisation. By not identifying and addressing safety issues, you are putting yourself, and your organisation at risk of being liable for a major incident. Small issues can lead to injury, and even death, and that is not a situation you want to be in.

If an incident occurs, you will have to spend countless hours investigating the root cause and what could have been done better. If an incident occurs, you may have to pay significant fines. If an incident occurs, you may lose a life and a family may lose a father. If an incident occurs, the reputation of your business could be irreparably damaged.

So, the long and short of it is that the cost of not caring about safety far outweighs the cost of caring. The answer is simple, you need to do all you can to ensure safety within your organisation, whether that be training staff on using a machine correctly, or transporting your components on a compliant frame.