It has been estimated that in Scotland alone, industrial or work-related injuries and fatalities cost more than 1 billion pounds annually on account of the resulting loss of income and productivity, and in subsequent healthcare costs. As most of the industrial accidents can be avoided with the use of proper safety wear and by providing a safe workplace, it should come as no surprise that the demand for safety workwear is at an all time high right now, with all analytical data pointing towards a huge growth for the industrial health and safety business as a whole, both in the present and in the foreseeable future.
The Leading Company in Workwear Clothing
Engelbert strauss is the leading name in the industry right now to find protective clothing for all workers. With a range of work clothing that includes softshell jackets, high-visibility jackets, 3-in-1 functionality jackets, protective trousers, cargos and just about every other type of safety clothing designed to protect against various hazardous work environments, engelbert strauss has established itself as a one stop name for work attire that combines top notch safety with the best possible functionality. A big reason behind the company’s success in the protective clothing industry is that their clothes are also made with fashion and comfort in mind, while putting safety and functionality first.
The Fear of Penalties
There have been multiple changes in UK legislation recently, and some of them have raised the penalties for noncompliance with the current safety standards quite significantly. In fact, the current safety standards themselves have been updated, changed and tightened as well, making it very expensive for any company to breach any of the set standards. Given that there are now million-pound fines in place for certain breaches of safety and security protocols, it could potentially ruin small to mid-sized businesses beyond recovery, especially since such fines are not covered by any insurance company. Then there is also the fear of being imprisoned, as even that is a possibility if the case against the accused is found to be strong enough. All of this has contributed towards raising the alarm against skipping any kind of health and safety measures that have been set as mandatory for a specific industry. As a natural and expected consequence of that fear, the businesses dealing in safety workwear and other equipment are booming in the United Kingdom at the moment.
The Loss of Productivity
While hefty fines are definitely one of the main reasons as to why even smaller businesses in the country have now started maintaining better safety standards, there are other more important reasons that come into play when it involves the larger names. The loss of productivity caused by workplace-related injuries and fatalities has been the most significant reason as to why the big businesses have adopted the best security measures in their respective industry. Between the years 2016 and 2017, over five-and-a-half million work days were lost in the UK, solely due to industrial and workplace related accidents that claimed 137 deaths and countless injuries. The loss of employees, refilling of vacant positions, cost of training new recruits, bad reputation, cost of investigating the accidents, fines and loss of morale among employees are just some of many problems that a company faces every time there’s an accident. It is therefore, of no great surprise that corporations which suffer huge losses for each lost minute of productivity, would take all the necessary measures to avoid injuries and fatalities under their banner.
Development of New Technology in Health and Safety
In addition to meeting the demand for basic and traditional safety gear, the health and safety industry is also improving and innovating every year. For example, wearables now make it possible to detect harmful levels of noise, heat, vibration or radiation so that the workers can always stay within safety limits. Similarly, automated machines, such as the simple robotic arm, have now decreased a lot of the risks associated with working in close proximity to potentially lethal industrial machines. The idea is to take a two-way approach to providing safety to workers in any hazardous environment. This includes – preventing accidents by alerting against impending dangers beforehand, and providing maximum possible protection when already exposed to a dangerous situation.
The growth of the safety business is not just good for the business itself, but it also signifies the fact that safety is now being taken more seriously than before. The expanding business is primarily indicative of the fact that employees will now be safer in potentially dangerous work environments, but it has also created the ground for innovation and improvement. As is always the situation, an industry can only innovate if the growth and opportunity is there, and that’s exactly why companies dealing in safety gear and technology are now able to bring in new innovations with much more speed. It all points towards a safer and more productive future for business in general.
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