HBXL warns those embarking on any building project to be extra stringent with their site health and safety or risk the wrath of the law…
Not enough build firms are fully aware of the hidden, uninsured costs of poor health and safety on site.
That’s the view of experts at build software specialist firm HBXL, who are urging those in charge of site safety to brush up on the implications of health and safety, rather than sweep their responsibilities under the carpet hoping they will go away.
Joanna Mulgrew, product development director at HBXL said: “A lot of businesses are fully aware of the moral, ethical, financial and legal cost of poor health and safety on site. However, what often goes unnoticed are the many hidden costs of when something goes wrong. These are often uninsured and can amount to a hefty and unwanted bill.”
Backing Mulgrew’s claim is data from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) which shows that for every £1 insured cost, uninsured costs will be anything between £8 to £36.
And as the HSE cranks up its Fee For Intervention (FFI) initiative, Mulgrew is warning those embarking on any building project to be extra stringent with their site health and safety or risk the wrath of the law.
She added: “It’s all very well to think that just because you’ve got insurance, everything is covered. But the reality is much more plain.
“If something did go wrong, then there are a myriad of things that will need paying for. We like to think of it as a bit of a health and safety iceberg, where the majority of costs are well hidden!”
Included on Mulgrew’s list of hidden costs are product and material damage, plant and building damage, tool and equipment damage, production delays, overtime and temporary labour, investigation time — the fact that manager’s time will be diverted — potential loss of expertise and experience, damaged reputations and a rise in insurance premiums.
Jo added: “The list goes on, and that’s not even taken into account potential fines, imprisonment and the emotional implications of injury to someone you know.”
The need to comply couldn’t be starker with, for example, 50 percent of basement sites failing inspection in March 2015.
Joanna added: “This is just one example of site failure. It’s also worth noting that the latest figures showing Fee For Intervention invoices which were issued in October 2015 for just the construction sector totalled £609,312.
“And since FFI was introduced fines in the construction sector now amounts to £7,584,677.
“More serious breaches could result in a trip to the magistrate’s court, a £20,000 fine and 12 months imprisonment. A case that gets taken to the crown court could result in an unlimited fine and two year’s imprisonment.
“Another area to consider is the loss of working days due to construction work related ill health. The HSE released statistics in August 2015 which show 69,000 construction workers suffered a work-related illness in the last year, with an economic cost to employers of £0.4bn That’s a not-insignificant 1.2 million working days!
“The point is prevention is better than cure and by using software tools like Health & Safety Xpert builders know they have the very latest paperwork to hand. This can then be printed off and placed in a file for all members of the team to read before they start on site.
“Using this type of software also, in my view, differentiates the good builders from the rest and highlights the responsibilities of the client and contractor.
“For domestic clients, if the builder they employ doesn’t inform them of their responsibilities, then they clearly don’t know what they are doing and would be best to steer clear of.
“Those who operate within the law have nothing to worry about but those who think they won’t get caught could at some point be in for a nasty surprise.
“Of course, the prevention of death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activities is paramount.
“The upshot is anyone involved in a build project need to take extra care in the running of their businesses to ensure that law breaches do not occur. This is how any financial penalty can be reduced or eliminated.”
For further information on HBXL’s Health & Safety Xpert visit www.hbxl.co.uk/hsx
Joanna Mulgrew
Marketing & Product
Development Director
HBXL Building Software
sales@hbxl.co.uk
Please note: this is a commercial profile
