How can micro-companies manage occupational risk?

Enhance occupational risk management with advanced technology

How can micro-businesses elevate their approach to occupational risk management? 

Companies with less than ten employees are considered micro-companies1 . In the UK’s construction sector, small firms such as these are playing an increasingly important role: a recent survey revealed that the majority of construction firms in the UK are considered ‘small’ or ‘very small,’ having less than three employees. 

Micro-companies are unique in the way that they utilise resources, spend money, and identify business priorities. Given their particular needs, constraints, and goals, it should come as no surprise that they require solutions which meet them where they are, and offer a type of support that aligns with their specific business objectives. 

In this article, we’ll explore how purpose-built technology can elevate how micro-businesses approach occupational risk management while taking into account their distinct challenges and accommodating their specific goals.

What do small teams need from a risk management solution?

When it comes to worker health and safety, every business - regardless of size - has largely the same goals: to keep workers safe, and to minimise the risk that workers are exposed to on a daily basis. And all employers - regardless of how large their company might be - are responsible for ensuring the safety of their workers and others. Even if you’re self-employed, health and safety law applies to the work you are doing if the equipment, materials, or substances that you use can affect other people, or pose a danger to them.

Plus, micro-businesses found to be non-compliant with HSE regulations may face fines of up to half a million pounds. For a business operating leanly with minimal resources or a tighter budget, this could be a devastating blow.

Often, micro-companies seek out products which can be easily integrated into their day-to-day operations, without the need for additional resources.

But unlike larger organisations, which may invest training time and IT resources into products and solutions designed to help ensure their regulatory compliance and protect the safety of their workforce, micro-businesses don’t always have the time, money, or personnel to devote to these technologies. Often, companies of this size seek out products which can be easily integrated into their day-to-day operations, without the need for additional resources.

Small teams tend to move exceptionally fast, and they expect that the tools and platforms they use will keep up with their pace of business, and support their growth.

The reality is that, for companies with less than 10 employees, a costly solution that requires significant IT support simply isn’t an option. And when it comes to adoptability, micro-companies are often in the market for self-service tools that require the lowest possible amount of pre-deployment education and training. But this focus on affordability and agility cannot come at the cost of high quality tech, and comprehensive support. In fact, small teams tend to move exceptionally fast, and they expect that the tools and platforms they use will keep up with their pace of business, and support their growth.

The right risk management solution for a micro-company is one that’s affordable, easy to adopt and deploy, scalable, and backed by a responsive and robust customer service experience.

Taken together, this means that the right risk management solution for a micro-company is one that’s affordable, easy to adopt and deploy, scalable, and backed by a responsive and robust customer service experience.

Making accurate, reliable risk management a reality for micro-businesses

R-Link is Reactec’s industry-defining solution for better occupational risk management, and it delivers an experience that organisations of any size can leverage to improve how they manage and monitor workplace risk.

R-Link helps manage your workers’ risk from exposure to vibration, noise, dust, and dangerous proximity. With lightweight kit that’s easy to set up and deploy, R-Link monitors individual workers’ activities and captures personalised data about their exposure to risk. A sophisticated analytics platform transforms this data into digestible insight that can be used to identify trends, patterns, areas of concern, and opportunities for improvement.

This entire process happens without any need for IT infrastructure or support

And this entire process happens without any need for IT infrastructure or support. Your Analytics are cloud-powered, which means that all you need to access your insight is a good internet connection. Plus, the Analytics are presented in a way that’s easy to understand - information is displayed in an attractive dashboard-style format that utilises simple charts, graphs, and analysis to visualise your workers’ data. When necessary, you can drill-down to uncover even more useful insight.

Does a small team really need to upgrade its current approach to risk management?

A modern technology-driven approach exists in stark contrast to the outdated methods that teams have traditionally used to monitor and manage their workplace risk. Pen-and-paper methods for tracking tool usage, for example, or temporary signage to identify exclusion zones are demonstrably inadequate to protect workers. In fact, reported cases of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) are higher than they’ve been since 2017, and the HSE’s most recent annual report revealed that fatal workplace injuries are on the rise, with 50% of victims coming into dangerous proximity of unsafe areas, vehicles, and equipment. Similar trends are seen with regards to Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) and diseases related to exposure to dust at work.

Micro-businesses are punching well above their weight when it comes to negative health and safety outcomes among workers.

And even though a micro-business - on its own - may not see high numbers of workers being impacted by these conditions, the reality is that workers at small and very small firms represent the majority of the UK’s construction workforce. This means that micro-businesses, as a community, are punching well above their weight when it comes to negative health and safety outcomes among workers. Put simply, by choosing outdated and ineffective methods for risk management, micro-businesses are continuing to put vast numbers of workers at risk.

Fortunately, there is a clear path forward for these businesses when it comes to better occupational risk management.

Monitoring and managing your workers’ risk from exposure to vibration, noise, dust, and dangerous proximity can feel like a tall order for a business with limited personnel, time, or budget. But R-Link is designed to make the end-to-end risk management process as accessible and frictionless as possible, and that includes supporting your team as it grows and scales.

1 Additional criteria apply in the UK. To see if your organisation is considered a micro-entity, use this link

Get in touch

To learn more about how R-Link can work for your team, just get in touch. We’ll be happy to answer your questions, and evaluate the best solution for your unique needs.

Related News

Join our mailing list, keep up to date with all our news and content