May 28, 2004—Three out of four UK employers say health and safety requirements benefit their companies as a whole, according to a new MORI survey published by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The survey also found that employers rate health and safety as their top two most important workplace issues, and over 80% regard HSE and its views and strategies favorably.
The survey of 500 employers and 3,000 members of the working and non-working public looked at people’s understanding of the term “health and safety,” what they see as the main risks at work, who they think is responsible for health and safety, and awareness and favorability of HSE compared to similar organizations.
Most employers see health and safety as good for business and disagree that it puts a strain on profits. Over 60% believe health and safety requirements save them money in the long term, while only 14% think health and safety law seriously hampers their business. Nearly 60% say that following health and safety law defends them against unjustified compensation claims.
Citizens and employees are most concerned about road safety. Health and safety in the workplace comes next for employees, while citizens are more concerned about food and medicine safety. Employers rate health and safety among their top two issues of importance in the workplace. Employees are more concerned about job satisfaction, pay, and work-life balance.
Male employees are more concerned with workplace risks than their female colleagues—74% against 66%—but this is likely to reflect the industries in which men and women predominate. For example, construction workers show more concern for health and safety at work than banking employees.
Two thirds of employees believe their employers take health and safety issues very seriously; the larger the organization the more likely they are to say so. Most employees feel they have the right amount of health and safety information and training, although two in five employers have had little or no training.
“Attitudes towards health and safety: a quantitative survey of stakeholder opinion,” (.pdf file) by MORI Social Research Institute can be accessed on the HSE Web site.
