Health and safety 'invisible turbulence' shaking up business

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Although often difficult to see, the real cost of poor workplace health and safety is immense, says Heidi Borner, a director of workplace productivity specialists Orange Umbrella.

"Decreased productivity, inefficiency, absenteeism, high staff turnover, accidents and litigation are like invisible turbulence exacting a heavy toll on the organisation's progress and profitability."

It is a sobering insight into what is the reality for many organisations when it comes to health and safety. Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson says workplace deaths and injuries cost the country billions of dollars a year, The Herald recently reported. The emotional toll on workers, their families and friends is immeasurable.

Jenn Edwards, a senior consultant with New Zealand's leading workplace and employee engagement survey specialists JRA, suggests that organisations with strong health and safety performance are likely to have strong employee engagement levels as well - a correlation that Borner also sees in the work that Orange Umbrella does.

Edwards points to one of the finalists in the 2010 JRA Best Large Workplaces category, Fletcher Construction Engineering, as an example.

"It's no coincidence that they have a very good health and safety record and also high employee engagement scores," Edwards says. "If employees feel that their well-being is taken care of at work, they are more likely to be engaged. This can be a reciprocal process as when they are engaged, they are also more likely to commit to health and safety initiatives."

Graham Darlow, the general manager of Fletcher Construction Engineering, agrees. "For us, people are everything and people-development is of key strategic importance to us, which is one of the major reasons for our success today.

"Our people really take full responsibility for health and safety because they know it's such a vital part of our business."

Given the link between health and safety and employee engagement, it is a good idea for organisations to measure these areas in workplace surveys.

JRA is running the 2011 JRA Best Workplaces Survey in association with The New Zealand Herald and sponsored by the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, KiwiBank and Haines Attract. The survey runs from June 1 to August 31 and registrations are now being taken.

ON THE WEB: www.bestworkplaces.co.nz