HSE: A Matter of Life and Death... and Morality?

12/25/20232 min read

  1. Employers owe a duty of care to those who could be affected by their business, including employees, contractors, visitors etc.

  2. Prevention of injuries, illnesses (inc. mental illness) caused by work

  3. Prevention of pain and suffering to others who could be affected, such as fellow employees, family, and friends

  4. Strive not to be one of the businesses contributing to the accident and ill health statistics (ref. HSE)

  5. Poor health and safety can negatively impact the morale of the entire workforce

  6. Employees come to work to provide for their family, not to be harmed by the work that they do

  7. They have shown loyalty to their employer through their hard work and deserve to have that loyalty returned by their employer looking after them

  8. Some of the hazards are so high risk as to potentially cause death, so a family will lose a father, husband, child etc.

  9. It is important for management to consider how they would feel if it was their loved ones who were being put at risk

  10. An accident at work could end someone’s career and could cause people to turn to drugs or alcohol as a result of absence from work

  11. Strive to contribute to a better society/community, and health and safety is a key part of that

  12. Live by the promises made to employees that “H&S is our no. 1 priority” and that “our people are our greatest asset”

  13. Some of our activities affect members of the public, including children, who could be harmed through no fault of their own

  14. Management is in trusted positions of power and authority and should strive to live up to the expectations placed on them and lead by example

  15. Better health and safety leads to better business, better job security, happier employees, and better communities. While not intending to hurt people, we can be judged for what we DON’T do as well as what we do. Failure to act responsibly can have serious consequences.

  16. Better health and safety leads to better business, better job security, happier employees, and better communities.

  17. Failure to act responsibly can have serious consequences, and we can be judged for what we DON’T do as well as what we do.

  18. It is important to ensure that our activities do not harm members of the public, including children, who could be affected through no fault of their own.

  19. Management is in trusted positions of power and authority and should strive to live up to the expectations placed on them and lead by example.

  20. Some of our people are going through difficult times, and we should try to support them, not make their situation worse by risking an accident at work.

Caring for People, Protecting Lives: The Moral Backbone of HSE