An Investigation into Health and Safety at Sainsbury's: A Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of health and safety practices within Sainsbury's, addressing key aspects such as employee needs, employer actions, and the impact on business performance. The study investigates how Sainsbury's identifies and addresses the health and safety needs of its employees, including training, working conditions, and awareness programs. It examines the actions taken by the employer to ensure a safe working environment, such as providing training, implementing safety systems, and conducting medical check-ups. Furthermore, the report explores the importance of developing a robust health and safety program at the workplace, highlighting its contribution to higher productivity, increased efficiency, accident reduction, and improved company reputation. The research methodology includes both quantitative and qualitative approaches, incorporating questionnaires and interviews to gather data. The results section presents findings on the importance of safety awareness, the ways health and safety enhance business performance, and actions taken to fulfill employee needs, with recommendations for improvement and a conclusion summarizing the key findings.

Health and safety at
Sainsbury

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
Overview of topic...................................................................................................................2
Background of company.........................................................................................................2
Research aims.........................................................................................................................2
Research objectives................................................................................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................3
To identify suitable health and safety needs to employees of Sainsbury’s............................3
To determine the actions which are taken by the employer to fulfil health and safety needs of
employees...............................................................................................................................3
To determine the importance of developing health and safety at workplace in improvement of
business performance.............................................................................................................4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................5
RESULTS/DISCUSSION...............................................................................................................6
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Overview of topic
Health and safety factors are important for every organisation and also seems too obvious
regarding the legal ramifications. Health and safety is important in company in order to prevent
people from having accidents or getting ill (Provan and Pryor, 2019). The major objective of
occupational health is to promote and maintain highest degree of mental, physical and social
wellbeing of workers in all the occupations.
Background of company
The present report is based on Sainsbury’s which is the largest supermarket chain in UK
and founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury and also become the largest retailer of groceries in
1922. In this context, it is important to have proper safety measures within an organisation and
for this, employers need to take suitable actions to fulfil health and safety needs as it is important
to enhance the performance of business.
Research aims
The aim of this research is “to investigate the importance of developing health and safety
at workplace in improvement of business performance”. A study on Sainsbury’s.
Research questions
 How to identify suitable health and safety needs to employees of Sainsbury’s?
 What are the actions which are taken by the employer to fulfil health and safety needs of
employees?
 Why it is important to develop health and safety at workplace in improvement of business
performance?
Research objectives
 To identify suitable health and safety needs to employees of Sainsbury’s.
 To determine the actions which are taken by the employer to fulfil health and safety
needs of employees.
 To determine the importance of developing health and safety at workplace in
improvement of business performance.

LITERATURE REVIEW
To identify suitable health and safety needs to employees of Sainsbury’s
According to Gilbert, (2008), health and safety needs of employees is an important concept
that company needs to analysis. For increasing efficiency and productivity of employees it’s very
important that company concerned about their health and safety. In context of Sainsbury's its
human resource manager plays an important role in supporting workplace health and safety to
employees. It regularly works for eliminating hazards, protecting workers and continuously
improving workplace safety and health. For successfully achieving organisation objective it’s
very important that they make effective strategies and policies which provide better safety and
health to employees. It is an important concern for selected company that it takes effective
actions related to employee safety and health (Salguero-Caparrós and et. al., 2020). This is
because it helps in motivating employees and increase their efficiency towards achievement of
goal. In context of Sainsbury's various safety and health needs of employees are discuss below:
 Safety education and training: In context of Sainsbury, its employee main need
regarding health and safety is that they require a proper education and training regarding
their work. So that they can also ensure their own safety. Training and education
regarding work process increase their efficiency and productivity (Khan and et. al.,
2019). This requirement of employees helps them to do work by ensuring their own
safety and health.
 Good working condition: Another important requirement of employees of Sainsbury’s
company is a good working environment. Working environment refers to the surrounding
and working policies of an organisation in which an employee does its work. Good
working conditions helps employee to do work in a good environment and give their best
towards achievement of goal.
To determine the actions which are taken by the employer to fulfil health and safety needs of
employees
According to Burton, (2018), employer is responsible for taking effective decision regarding
health and safety of employee. In context of Sainsbury's they can take various actions regarding
health and safety of employees, which are mention below:

 Providing effective training: In context of selected company, they provide effective
training regarding work procedure so that their workers are also ensure their safety while
doing work. Sainsbury's regularly provide training programmes for their new and existing
workers. Which will reduce the cases of accidents in organisation.
 Provide safe system and place of work: In context of Sainsbury’s they provide a safe and
good environment of work by using new and best technology. They regularly check their
process of work and ensure that there is nothing that harm their workers (Para‐González
and Mascaraque‐Ramírez, 2019). They provide a good working environment where
workers can do their job without any problem.
 Safety awareness programs: In context of selected firm, they are regularly conducting
safety awareness programmes in their organisation which provide education regarding
their safety and health. Selected firm conducts various health educations programs in
which they inform their workers about unhealthy habits leading to disease.
 Proper medical check-up: In context of selected company, they appoint doctors and
specialists for regularly check-up of their employees. If any health problem is faced it
should be immediately solving by proper medical care (Demir, Gul and Guneri, 2020).
To determine the importance of developing health and safety at workplace in improvement of
business performance
According to Leonard, (2019), health and safety at workplace helps selected firm in
improving their business performance. Various importance of health and safety are mention
below:
Higher productivity: In context of selected firm, developing health and safety in
workplace will reduce the conflicts between workers and management. Providing a healthy
environment helps in increasing productivity of employee which will also increase the
productivity of company (Gatto, 2020).
Increased efficiency and quality: If selected firm make good policies and take effective
decisions regarding safety and health of employee (Ghahramani and Salminen, 2019). This will
increase the motivational level of employees because of high motivational level employers do
work with their full efficiency and helps company in achieving its objective.
Reducing accidents: Developing health and safety at workplace reduce the cases of
accidents which will help organisation in effectively performing their business operations. In

context of Sainsbury's effectively and efficiently performing its business activities helps in
achieving their objective and higher growth.
Reduce labour turnover rate: In context of selected company, its focus towards health
and safety of workers at workplace help organisation in retaining their employees for long period
of time.
Improve reputation of company: Developing various policies and action regarding safety
and health of employees in workplace create a good image of company in industry. This is
because developing health and safety helps organisation in retain their employees for long period
of time and also reduce case of accidents at workplace (Okorie and Musonda, 2020).
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The most important methodological choice which has been make the researcher is based on
the difference among the qualitative and quantitative data and information. For this, the research
which is used is quantitative and qualitative data in order to analyse this research.
 Quantitative methodology: This method is useful in order to collect and analyse data
which has been based on the large sample of participants. For this, the data is analysed by
numerical and statistical analysis. This method is quite quicker in order to carry out
research as it leads to involve the effective use of software (Varghese and et. al., 2020).
Along with this, popular methods are based on the quantitative data undertake the
organisational statistical records and questionnaire among others. Hence, the researcher
will consider questionnaire survey which is based on the number of team members at the
Sainsbury’s.
 Qualitative methodology: This factor tends to support an in-depth understanding of the
situation by investigation as it involves the small sample studies that cannot be
generalised to the other context to the broad range of population. For this, popular
methods are based on the qualitative data undertake semi-structured interviews,
participant observation and document analysis (Heras-Saizarbitoria and et. al., 2019).
Hence, the students tend to organise interview for the team leader of Sainsbury’s and also
record it.
 Primary data: It is considered as the first hand data which is being collected by the
researcher for the particular research purpose or project (Khan and et. al., 2019). For this,

the researcher will opt face to face interview, questionnaire survey and observation to
complete the research.
 Secondary data: It is a type of data which has been collected in the past and for this, the
researcher tends to collect data which is already available. The data has been classified as
secondary for the specific research and it may be considered as the primary for the
another research (Salguero-Caparrós and et. al., 2020) Hence, the researcher tends to
collect data through various ways like textbooks, journals, newspapers and diaries.
RESULTS/DISCUSSION
Questionnaire
Q1. Do you think it is important to spread awareness regarding health and
safety within an organisation?
Frequency
a) Yes 35
b) No 05
Q2. How health and safety enhance the performance of business? Frequency
a) Employees feel secure 20
b) Reduce risk 10
c) Less employee turnover 10
Q3. What are the actions which are taken to fulfil the health and safety
needs of employees?
Frequency
a) Hazard identification 12
b) Risk assessment 12
c) Risk control 18
Theme 1: Importance to spread awareness regarding health and safety
Q1. Do you think it is important to spread awareness regarding health and
safety within an organisation?
Frequency
a) Yes 35
b) No 05

Interpretation: From the above detailed discussion, it has been interpreted that it is important to
spread awareness regarding the health and safety among employees. For this, out of 40
respondents, 35 are agree with the statement and remaining disagree with the same.
Theme 2: Ways by which health and safety enhance the performance of business
Q2. How health and safety enhance the performance of business? Frequency
a) Employees feel secure 20
b) Reduce risk 10
c) Less employee turnover 10

Interpretation: By considering the detailed analysis of the graph, it has been analysed that there
are various ways by which health and safety leads to enhance the performance of business. In
regard of this, 10 agree with less employee turnover, 10 gets agree with reduction of risk and
remaining gets agree with the statement that employee feel secure.
Theme 3: Actions which are taken to fulfil the health and safety needs of employees
Q3. What are the actions which are taken to fulfil the health and safety
needs of employees?
Frequency
a) Hazard identification 12
b) Risk assessment 12
c) Risk control 18

Interpretation: From the detailed analysis it has been analysed that there are various actions
which are taken to fulfil the health and safety needs. In this, 18 respondents get agree with risk
control, 12 respondents get agree with risk assessment and remaining gets agree with hazard
identification.
RECOMMENDATIONS
From above discussion it is recommended that health and safety is an important concern for
selected organisation. Selected company needs to take effective decisions and action regarding
safety and health of employees. In context of selected company, training and educational
programmes are adopted by company for better safety and health of their employees. In this
company provide proper training to their employees regarding work process and conducts
various health related programs which provide them proper instructions how they can ensure
their own safety. This action help selected company in increasing their employee efficiency and
productivity. Which will assist organisation in efficiently achieving their goal and objective.
CONCLUSION
From above discussion on this report it is concluded that for success and growth of any
organisation it’s very important that company take effective and efficient actions related to
health and safety of their employees. Health and safety at workplace play an essential role in
every organisation. In this report various needs of employees regarding their safety and health

are discussed and these needs and requirement are full-fill by taking effective actions by
company. Its responsibility of company to provide proper training regarding work procedure and
conduct various programs providing knowledge regarding their safety and health. Developing
safety and health in workplace helps an organisation in achieving higher growth. This is because
action of company regarding health and safety increase efficiency and productivity of an
organisation and also reduce cases of accidents at workplace. Which will increase the reputation
and image of company in industry.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Demir, P., Gul, M. and Guneri, A.F., 2020. Evaluating occupational health and safety service
quality by SERVQUAL: a field survey study. Total Quality Management & Business
Excellence.31(5-6). pp.524-541.
Gatto, A., 2020. A pluralistic approach to economic and business sustainability: A critical meta‐
synthesis of foundations, metrics, and evidence of human and local
development. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 27(4).
pp.1525-1539.
Ghahramani, A. and Salminen, S., 2019. Evaluating effectiveness of OHSAS 18001 on safety
performance in manufacturing companies in Iran. Safety science. 112. pp.206-212.
Heras-Saizarbitoria, I., and et. al., 2019. OHSAS 18001 certification and work accidents:
Shedding Light on the connection. Journal of safety research. 68. pp.33-40.
Khan, M.W., and et. al., 2019. Occupational health and safety in construction industry in
Pakistan using modified-SIRA method. Safety science. 118. pp.109-118.
Okorie, V.N. and Musonda, I., 2020. An investigation on supervisor’s ability and competency to
conduct construction site health and safety induction training in Nigeria. International
Journal of Construction Management. 20(5). pp.357-366.
Para‐González, L. and Mascaraque‐Ramírez, C., 2019. The importance of official certifications
in globalized companies' performance: An empirical approach to the shipbuilding
industry. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 26(2).
pp.408-415.
Provan, D.J. and Pryor, P., 2019. The emergence of the occupational health and safety profession
in Australia. Safety science. 117. pp.428-436.
Salguero-Caparrós, F., and et. al., 2020. Management of legal compliance in occupational health
and safety. A literature review. Safety science. 121. pp.111-118.
Varghese, B.M., and et. al., 2020. Heat-related injuries in Australian workplaces: Perspectives
from health and safety representatives. Safety science. 126. p.104651.
Varianou-Mikellidou, C., and et. al., 2019. Occupational health and safety management in the
context of an ageing workforce. Safety science. 116. pp.231-244.
Online
Sainsbury’s offers staff health and safety qualification. 2021. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/sainsburys-offers-staff-health-and-safety-
qualification/>./
Workplace Health and Safety – Whose Responsibility Is It?. 2019. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/workplace-health-and-safety-whose-
responsibility/>./
Importance of Workplace Health & Safety. 2019. [Online] Available through:
<https://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-workplace-health-safety-4973.html>./

APPENDIX
Q1. Do you think it is important to spread awareness regarding health and safety within an
organisation?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2. How health and safety enhance the performance of business?
a) Employees feel secure
b) Reduce risk
c) Less employee turnover
Q3. What are the actions which are taken to fulfil the health and safety needs of employees?
a) Hazard identification
b) Risk assessment
c) Risk control