During these difficult economic times all organisations are finding it hard to make ends meet. Insurance is one of the costs which are a requirement but one which seems to be costing more. The main driver for this is the 31% increase in claims over the last 5 years. Almost 17,000 personal injury claims were handled by the courts in 2012. The figures are revealed in the Courts Services Annual Report 2012.
The amounts being awarded in the courts is also on the increase – from a total of €74,000,000 in 2011 to €94,500,000 in 2012 in the high court alone. Awards in the circuit court were also up over €2,000,000.
So the key lesson in this for employers is to take preventative measures and not to end up in a litigation process. As with most things concerning Health and Safety in the Workplace – Prevention is better than cure. You need to have sound policies and procedures, backed up by effective controls and supervision in the workplace, complimented by appropriate training and documentation. By having these in place it will assist you in preventing an accident, but should the worst case occur it gives the business some means of defending the claim and mitigating the consequences against the business. Naturally our primary focus is to prevent injury to the staff and those who may be affected by the work of the organisation, but we must also be mindful of protecting the business in a financial sense. Unless you effectively manage Health and Safety in your business you are taking a serious and unnecessary risk.
If you need further advice or information, talk to Peninsula Business Services (Ireland) on 0818 923 923 how we can help you reduce your risk and protect your business.
