Why it's Vital to Check your Safety Equipment

Regular inspections lower the chances of you and your employees becoming injured.

14:43 05 February 2021

Whether you're looking to reopen your business once lockdown eases, or you've been working throughout the pandemic it's important to check your safety equipment regularly and routinely. Safety equipment doesn't just mean safeguards in place when dealing with heavy machinery, it can be anything from hard hats to eye protection, footwear to harnesses, and regularly checking your equipment is vital not only for your business, but your employees too.

 

Reduce risk of employee injuries

 

There are nearly 700,000 non-fatal injuries in the workplace every year. And while some of them are unpreventable and accidents can and will occur, by regularly checking your safety equipment you're reducing the risk of workplace incidents.

 

If an employee is injured, it can have a knock-on effect to the business too. If a worker is injured as a result of damaged equipment, chances are they will require some time off. To stay on schedule, you will have to find someone to replace that lost worker. If you don't find someone, productivity can slow down.

 

And it's not only productivity that can be affected – the bottom line is too. Studies suggest that it costs over £30k to replace a staff member.

 

Increase productivity

 

Damaged safety equipment can also impact productivity. When equipment fails, the workflow gets interrupted, and projects come to a halt until the problem is resolved. This doesn't just impact machinery, if someone is lacking the correct safety equipment, the job cannot be carried out safely – and even legally, until it is rectified.

 

When projects are interrupted, deadlines may not be met – and this can have a knock-on affect with future sales. If people lose faith in your business and your ability to deliver, they may go to a competitor. To stay on track, it's important regular safety checks are built into the work schedule.

 

Lower repair costs

 

By scheduling in regular safety checks you can spot any potential damage and replace it before it becomes unusable and therefore halts work. By keeping on-top of maintenance you'll be able to make a repair before it leads to more expensive problems further down the line.

 

You'll find that your equipment will run better, and you'll extend its lifespan significantly, therefore reducing overall costs. The better the condition of your equipment, the less time and money you'll spend on repairs. This is true of PPE and RPE too. It's important that your employees are responsible for the maintenance of their equipment to ensure it's fit for purpose.