07-04-2017

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 4% of construction workers suffer a work-related illness each year. A further 3% suffer a work-related injury each year - most due to slips and trips, lifting and handling, or falls from height. This leads to 2.2million working days lost.

Despite this, recent research has found that the majority of construction workers go to work whilst injured or ill.

Working Through the Pain

The study has found that 90% of construction workers have done so at some point, leading to ineffective work and them unable to complete tasks to their usual high standard.

A high proportion of these said it was because they were self-employed and could not afford to miss work as they were not entitled to sick pay from an employer as others would be. Others claimed they were unaware of sick pay rules or were scared they'd lose their job if they took time off to recover. Some simply didn't want younger colleagues thinking they were 'getting too old for the job'.

Preventing Injury and Covering Your Losses

The HSE has revealed that 95% of workplaces with five or more employees do regular risk assessments and 90% of workplaces (where there was a risk of musculoskeletal disorders) provided equipment to help minimise musculoskeletal risk.

However, sometimes accidents and illness cannot be avoided. In this case, the correct insurance policy will cover you or your business should you or an employee fall ill.

If there is a disruption and business must be paused, business interruption insurance will help you recoup the costs and resume business as normal as soon as possible. Whereas employers' liability will provide you with millions of pounds of indemnity cover and will cover the legal costs for any health and safety prosecutions. You may also seek cover for costs incurred when fixing any substandard work done while injured or ill.

Don't let your ego or your financial state risk your or your staff's health. Find out more about the types of insurance that are available and tailor build a quote for cover that truly works for your needs by comparing online today. Alternatively, call 0333 202 6240 to speak to a member of our friendly team.