There is a certain banality to the things that we do every day that bring us into the most danger. Just using roads is most certainly one of those things.
In the heart of every person is part of themselves that dreams of adventure. That part that imagines doing battle against all the odds, of looking the grim reaper squarely in his terrible visage, and dismissing him with a cavalier smile. Perhaps we need that, to carry on that is, in the face of apparently meaningless, arbitrary, and constant threat.
Those that meet a violent end are most likely to do so at the hands of someone that they know (and possibly love). Most accidents happen in the home. We know these things as being true, but still we find them hard to accept in our orderings of fears. Likewise, the most mundane of activities, simply venturing out onto the roads is something that for the most part we give no mind to, whilst at the same time it bears the gravest risk.
A parallel can be drawn between safety on our roads, and in the sport of motor racing, There was a time when in top flight motor sport the endless parade of casualties became too horrible to contemplate. That was the time when the drivers spoke up and said “no more”. As recent events have tragically shown, death will never be far away – but, with determination of will and constant effort, it does not have to be the norm.
As in motorsport, in motoring. Colossal advances in safety have been made. Great advances, however that are struggling against a tide of ever increasing numbers. Despite the problems undoubtedly caused by the larger number of vehicles that are competing for space on the roads of today compared to, say, the ’60s, it is still worth taking a moment to look at all the things that make the wholly necessary but spectacularly risky enterprise of motoring so much safer.
Motor vehicle technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. This is thanks, coincidentally, in no small part to the world of motorsport. Innovations such as anti-lock brakes, ‘crumple zones’ and others were all born of the track. Recently great progress has been made in the so-called ‘driverless car’, with technology giant Google putting prototype vehicles on the street and the state government of New Mexico putting in place legislation that could allow autonomous vehicles to operate.
The tireless work of the men and women work patrolling the highways and byways should not be forgotten either. Without there being those willing to take on the thankless task of policing the roads, they would certainly be a much worse place.
Those who fight for justice for those who are harmed on the roads because of the carelessness of others should also be given consideration. It’s an ugly truth, but road traffic accident claims are essential in providing restorative justice.
We can’t stop driving. We can’t give up on getting to where we need to go to. Neither though can we cease trying to take some of the danger out of it.
Health and safety training can be seen as a soft subject. However it is of upmost importance- here’s why.
The benefits of health and safety training are many. Ensuring staff are up to date with issues, likely problems and other health and safety issues can make a huge difference to the work place, before, during and sometimes after a problem arises. So, what are the pluses of having a well trained staff?
The most obvious reason for health and safety training – it increases awareness of health and safety issues and prevents them. With hundreds of thousands of health and safety issues being common place in the UK and up to a million injuries per annum – health and safety training is welcome in changing that. By ensuring your workers are trained and up to scratch this can reduce the amount of injuries in your business.
For Employees this means that they aren’t injured obviously, which in the case of minor and major injuries can cause significant issues. Such issues can destroy families, livelihoods and cause all sorts of harms and problems – especially if they are taken to their fullest extent.
Employees who are well trained in health and safety are also more employable – a huge plus in this day and age. From smaller courses to larger diplomas, a well trained employee is at a huge benefit when looking for a job if they have certain health and safety qualifications.
For employers the benefits are also huge. Obviously they won’t have to deal with any moral issues if there staff are trained as people will have been given the best opportunity to avoid injury. Other pluses around the health and safety issue revolve around money. Employers who have offered training to their employees may receive lower insurance premiums as companies see them as at less of a risk of having a claim.
Employers will also have less workers taking sick days and so the issues of people not being in and work not being completed won’t come about. This can only be a plus for businesses in areas where certain people with specialist knowledge are key to a day’s work.
Obviously ensuring employees aren’t at risk lowers the chances of a severe injury and the compensation that goes with that. Employers won’t have to pay for an injured person who is out of work, as they will be trained to avoid issues.
Employees who feel they have been trained to a good standard and feel their employer is looking out for them will also be happier at work and so more productive, cooperative and overall better employees.
Many of the courses that are completed under health and safety are law and must be completed for legal reasons. Employees and employers who don’t do the courses mightn’t be eligible to work in an industry and so are at risk of fines, unemployment and sanctions.
The importance of health and safety training cannot be ignored. It offers benefits in welfare, saving money and in attitude for both employees and employers and should be adhered to and training should surpass the necessary for best effect.
