2023-09-13 09:25:00
Small and medium-sized businesses are faced with a shortage of qualified safety experts who can analyze and resolve risks. The Dutch Association for Safety Science states this in an open letter to employer organizations. The NVVK sees that attention to safe working is waning.
According to the NVVK, the shortage exists in SMEs (companies with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of up to 50 million euros) within all sectors, but the risks are particularly high in industries with many health and safety regulations for work processes, such as in transport, the chemical, construction and manufacturing industries.
In addition, the growing economy is mentioned as an additional reason to pay attention. “New and little regulated activities are emerging and developments such as digitalization and sustainability have an impact on occupational safety,” the association states. “Especially in this situation, attention to safe and healthy working conditions must not relax.”
Cost item
“Take companies that install solar panels,” outlines a spokesperson for the NVVK. “Due to the high demand for panels, more and more companies are installing them. These sometimes work unsafely, resulting in people falling off the roof.”
The NVVK warns of consequences such as staff loss, serious safety incidents and rising costs of personal injury, which would already amount to hundreds of millions per year. “Occupational safety then becomes a cost item, resulting in large-scale inspections by the Labor Inspectorate.”
This cost item can present itself as a fine. “The employer must always employ a prevention officer and carry out risk inventories and evaluations,” the spokesperson explains. “That is a legal obligation, with a fine of 4,500 euros if the employer fails to comply. Some employers accept that risk, because they believe that such a fine will cost them less than a prevention officer.”
This problem is less prevalent in large companies because, according to the NVVK, they often have large and close-knit teams of safety experts. This leaves fewer of the already scarce supply of experts to work at SMEs.
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