By Eric Kipps

Does safety and health management improve a company's bottom line? This question is most frequently asked by business owners and executives. The answer is a resounding "YES", although benefits may be somewhat hard to quantify. In addition to outright savings on worker's compensation benefit claims, civil liability, and litigation expenses, having a solid safety and health management program with senior management commitment will improve productivity and employee morale. It can also make the difference between winning and losing tenders and even government contracts.

Within recent times in Trinidad and Tobago there have been a number of initiatives by member organisations in the energy and industrial sectors aimed at increasing the levels of safety and health compliance among contractors. This will ultimately enhance their ability to win contracts in the energy sector.