You might have noticed by now that Health and Safety posts frequent the Label Source blog almost daily. As suppliers of health and safety signs and warning labels, we not only understand the importance of having the correct signage in compliance with health and safety legislations in your work place, but are also advocates for celebrating health and safety rules and regulations, which are put in place to protect us, saving lives and minimising risk.
Over the past few months in particular, health and safety has become somewhat of a scapegoat for businesses, blaming health and safety legislations for bizarre decisions and causing public hostility towards health and safety, which is something that every one of us needs at some point in our lives in order to live a safe and risk-minimised life (wouldn't that be nice!)
Many don't actually realise how vitally important health and safety legislation is, and unfortunately through tragic accidents which make the press, we see examples almost daily of deaths, injuries or property damage due to a relaxed attitude towards health and safety, with companies in all areas and of all sizes being prosecuted almost weekly for breaches of these legislations.
Not having the appropriate health and safety signs and hazard warnings in place can lead to fatal accidents, as these three devastating news stories show:
1. Farmer in Court over Driver's Electrocution
A HGV driver was electrocuted to death after hitting a power line which had no corresponding safety signage or barriers.
2. Safety Failings put Finchley Worker in Burns Coma
A labourer from North London received life-threatening burn injuries in an explosion on a farm after severing a 415-volt electrical cable, unaware it was live. There was no health and safety signage in place highlighting the live cable.
3. Developer Prosecuted after Lorry Hit Power Line
A developer in Kettering has been fined after a lorry hit a power line which caused a power cut in 11 properties. Similarly, the line had no health and safety signs.
The important thing to highlight here is that not only do these three examples show tragic injuries and even fatalities due to lack of health and safety signage, but they also show three different cases of employers or individuals being prosecuted for their failings. Make sure that your company meets the appropriate health and safety legislations by ordering your Safety Signs from Label Source today.