Why Health and safety training is important- even in a small business

steven mullan
Sep 8
3 min read

Updated: Sep 23

Written by Elizabeth Rickett 08/09/2025

Stepping into a new career is exciting, but overlooking health and safety can be costly. Knowing how to protect you and your business is one of the most important steps to stepping into this new life.

Protecting People

Workplace slip and trip accidents cost employers in England over £500 million per year. Learn how to protect your team and customers to avoid these preventable accidents.

Why health and safety training is important

Related reading: What is the Level 6 Health & Safety NVQ?

Training and gaining your NEBOSH general certiﬁcate in health and safety (offered by SM Safety Training)is one of the best ways to ensure you protect yourself and your workplace from the costly effects of workplace accidents and injuries.
Having a safe, protected and well-managed workplace makes staff feel safe, boosting team morale and productivity.
Every member of your team is a valued member- gaining your qualiﬁcations in Health and Safety ensures you prevent them from working in unsafe and even illegal conditions.
Being sufficiently trained can protect you from personal liability, keeping your money
and reputation safe from harm.

Legal compliance

When you're just starting out, the last thing you need is a hefty ﬁne; not complying with UK Health and Safety laws is an easy way to land yourself in the red.

Every business, whether big or small, must comply with UK health and safety laws.
Ensuring you know how to manage your workplace, prevent accidents and ensure every risk is accounted for is vital to keep your business safe.
By training in Health and Safety, you are able to provide your team and yourself with knowledge on the rights and responsibilities written in UK law.
Gaining the correct training ensures you are in the best position to meet these obligations and avoid ﬁnes and legal action.

Money saving

Being able to save money wherever you can is crucial to keeping your business aﬂoat- especially in the beginning.

Accidents can be costly to your business, not only from compensation costs, but they also lead to lost time and even a damaged reputation. One staff member slipping over can cost you weeks of work.
Preventing accidents reduces stress, anxiety and fear of unsafe conditions for both you and the team. This helps keep workplace wellbeing in a good place.
Having a safe working environment and being trained properly in health and safety gives employees the conﬁdence to carry out tasks they may be worried about.
This ensures staff productivity is high, giving you the best pay out for their time.
Training with SM Safety is a cost-effective way to reduce risk to yourself and your business.

Building Trust

It's extremely important for your staff and your customers to trust you. That's what keeps them coming back. Businesses that take safety seriously gain the trust of their employees and customers as they know they are in safe hands.
Potential employees are more likely to take on a job in which they can see and trust that they will be safe and avoid injuries, which can damage their livelihood and well-being.
Your team can see your genuine commitment to their well-being and safety within the
workplace, gaining their conﬁdence and trust whilst showing them how they are valued members of the team.

Buisness groth chart due to safety training

Future Growth

Health and safety training doesn't just help you in the present, it ensures you're prepared for the future- with one less thing to worry about.

By knowing and being able to implement the correct safety practices early on, it prepares your business to take on bigger projects and expand its team in future without having to worry about lacking the correct knowledge to ensure you do so safely.

Creating a safe working environment allows the team to thrive, allowing for innovation and productivity in your business and helping you make a name for yourself in the industry.

Being trained in assessing and identifying risks means your business can stay focused on its goals and not fall behind due to accidents and setbacks that could have been prevented from the get-go.

Health and Safety training is not a cost- it's an investment into your future. SM Safety Training provides an expansive range of NEBOSH and IOSH courses to ensure you can run your business as smoothly as possible, giving you the head start and knowledge you need- especially as a small business.

Is NEBOSH Course worth it? Have a read of this blog to make your mind up. Blog