Covid-19: A lasting legacy on workplace safety?

Half of all those interviewed for Dräger’s Safety at Work research in 2022 felt that the pandemic had resulted in a greater general focus on staff safety and well-being, and it would appear that this may be a contributing factor to the overall increase in peoples’ feelings of being safe at work in 2022.

50% of people interviewed felt that Covid-19 had resulted in a greater general focus on investment in staff safety and well-being. And more broadly, it is clear that the pandemic served to significantly raise the overall profile of health and safety in businesses, with regular and frequent communication from health and safety leads to all staff.

In many businesses, a recognition of the hard work undertaken by health and safety professionals has earned such individuals and departments a newfound respect amongst senior leadership teams, enabling the voice of those in safety to be shared – and heard – at a higher level within businesses.

Another key impact of the pandemic is the increasing acceptance of personal accountability when it comes to who is responsible for keeping people safe at work.

The concept of both employer and employee sharing this responsibility is much-discussed, but this year’s research indicates a slight shift towards people taking greater personal responsibility. One suggestion as to why this might be is that the types of safety protocols which people faced in their day-to-day lives during the pandemic (self-testing, isolating, better hand hygiene etc) may have led to a change in attitudes and behaviours.

This will certainly be an interesting trend to monitor over the coming years, but it would appear that the post-pandemic world presents a real – and significant – opportunity for businesses to make the most of the positives which have arisen in the arena of health and safety.