Expert Defense & Representation
Health and Safety Helpline
Access instant UK call centre support from a team of business health & safety experts.
Expert legal guidance through every stage
It’s every employer’s responsibility to keep their staff, clients and customers safe. But if you’re not a health and safety expert, making sense of the complexities of legislation and figuring out the practical steps you need to take can feel like an impossible task. You may not feel confident that you’re doing enough or in your ability to go it alone, and know that guesswork can have serious consequences for your business and put people at risk.
- Provide clarity on any health and safety grey areas
- Give you quick answers to health and safety queries, at any time, from a source you can trust
- Allow you to soundboard your ideas and get a second, professional opinion
- Offer reassurance and confirmation that you’re approaching situations correctly
- Help you to generate simple, workable solutions to health and safety challenges
- Ensure that the decisions you make are reasonable, proportionate and commercially-sound
- Save valuable time spent scouring the internet for answers
After all, the key to staying compliant is having access to the most reliable health and safety advice and information. Receiving expert support in the form of a health and safety helpline will allow you to identify and control risk, meet your legal responsibilities, and approach health and safety tasks more confidently.
How WorkNest protects you
At WorkNest, we offer a specialist UK business employment law team who offer essential support. Protect your organisation from financial and reputational damage with a free, no-obligation consultation.
The importance of good legal advice for employers
When it comes to health and safety compliance, being able to pick up the phone to someone who knows what they’re talking about can be a real game changer. Speaking to someone who not only understands UK health and safety legislation but who understands your business, your objectives, your challenges and how you operate will:
In the worst case scenario, missteps can lead to an Employment Tribunal claim. Unfortunately for employers, now that Tribunal fees have been scrapped, there’s nothing to stop litigious employees pursuing legal action. With the average award for unfair dismissal sitting at almost £14,000 and discrimination claims costing closer to £30,000, the cost of going it alone can be significant. Of course, as well as the impact on your bottom line, there’s also reputational damage to consider.
But it’s not all about legal risk. Employee relations issues can impede productivity, affect morale, and contribute to a high turnover. They put a strain on management, destabilise your workforce, and ultimately affect your ability to deliver on key objectives. If you’re not an Employment Law expert, the time and stress involved in dealing with your people problems can become a considerable burden — one that will only increase as your organisation grows.
Good legal advice, on the other hand, helps employers avoid these pitfalls. It enables them to handle risks effectively, streamline their operations, and make informed decisions. This not only ensures compliance with the law but also contributes to a healthier work environment and a stronger, more resilient business.
Unlimited helpline support for your business
According to the latest annual health and safety statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):
- 30.7 million working days were lost because of injury or ill health;
- 555,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey
- 1.4 million working people suffer from a work-related illness.
Most significantly, according to the HSE’s annual fatal injuries report, there were 147 work-related fatalities in 2018/19. The sectors where the risk of fatal injury is greatest are agriculture, forestry and fishing; waste and recycling, and construction.
Every workplace has hazards, from the dangers of handling hazardous substances to the risks associated with manual handling or working at height. Whether you work in a manufacturing facility or an office, there are still risks of injury and ill health that need to be controlled. If you fail to take all reasonable measures, you may face enforcement action, which brings with it Fee for Intervention, hefty fines and even prosecution, not to mention insurmountable damage to your reputation. That’s why access to a Health & Safety Helpline and receiving competent support from a Health & Safety specialist is so important.
Admin & correspondence
Offer a constant source of practical Employment Law advice on a full spectrum of employee relations issues, from the seemingly simple to the most complex;
Strategy & negotiation
Guide you every step of the way through difficult situations – including gross misconduct, discrimination complaints and redundancy – advising on the correct process to follow and the legal pitfalls to avoid;
Seamless representation
Draft your essential documentation, including your Contracts of Employment and Employee Handbook, to ensure they are legally-compliant and provide the best possible protection for your organisation.
Know what you’re looking for in a Health and Safety Support Line
There are many different forms of health and safety help available, including advice line services, expert training, one-off pieces of work, or a full health and safety service. Before you go searching for sources of support, decide what kind of health and safety help you require. Are you looking for safety help with:
- A General Risk Assessment?
- A Fire Risk Assessment?
- Implementing safe systems of work?
- Training for staff or managers?
In many cases, it makes sense to find a Health & Safety company who offer a fixed-fee service that combines over-the-phone support with on-site assistance, as this often offers better value for money and is the most effective way of ensuring you’re compliant.
At WorkNest, we understand the value of having access to a dedicated professional for pragmatic support when you need it.
That’s why, as part of our unlimited, fixed-fee service, you have access to a named Health & Safety Consultant who will:
- Act as one of your legally-required competent persons to ensure you meet the requirements of health and safety law and are prepared for HSE inspections;
- Complete an up-to-date General Risk Assessment with you and advise on necessary actions;
- Develop and help you implement a Prioritised Safety Action Plan, Health & Safety Policy and Employee Health & Safety Handbook tailored to your specific needs; and
- Keep you up to date with changes to legislation and best practice so that you can operate with complete confidence.
This is supported by access to our award-winning Health & Software, an easy-to-use dashboard that gives you the tools you need to proactively monitor and manage risk on a day-to-day basis, as well as access to our online Knowledge Hub, where you can find expert-created guidance notes and downloadable risk assessment templates.
Added health & safety extras
Our health and safety helpline is backed by a range of tools and protections to help you future-proof your organisation.
Note: This is a brief guide and does not cover the complete legal procedure.
Get unlimited health & safety support
From big household names to small independent businesses, WorkNest provides trusted support to over 17,700 organisations across the UK. Whatever your size, sector or current situation, we can help to relieve your workforce pressures, ensure your organisation is compliant, and ultimately save you valuable time and money.