Injuries sustained from work accidents are considered significant economic burdens for individual people, employers as well as for the whole society. Work accidents can have a big financial impact especially on small companies. Some costs, such as days off or loss of income, are obvious and can be easily expressed in monetary value. However, many economic consequences of workplace accidents are hidden or impossible to be quantified. Enterprises should be aware of the fact that, apart from costs, proper occupational safety and health management brings important benefits. Research has shown that there is a close relationship between profitability of business and effective, integrated occupational safety and health management.

A company benefits from good OSH management:

• Less accidents at work results in a lower rate of absence due to illness and, at the same time, reduces costs and disruption in a manufacturing process. Remember – people’s life and health are the highest values!
• Knowing OSH standards guarantees that both employers and employees feel safe.
• Healthy employees are more efficient and ensure a higher production quality.
• Proper maintenance of devices as well as ergonomics of the workplace result in higher productivity and quality and, at the same time, lower the risk of accidents.
• Limiting the number of accidents and illnesses results in reducing the amount of money that has to be paid because of injuries at work.

Hiring efficient health and safety representatives is several times less costly than paying the financial penalties imposed by the National Labour Inspectorate. These penalties range from 1,000 to 30,000 zlotys!