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https://expertinsights.com/insights/the-top-5-biggest-cyber-security-threats-that-small-businesses-face-and-how-to-stop-them/

https://healthitsecurity.com/news/71-of-ransomware-attacks-targeted-small-businesses-in-2018

https://www.tessian.com/blog/phishing-statistics-2020/

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The Top 5 Biggest Cyber Security Threats That Small Businesses Face And How To Stop Them | Expert Insights

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The Top 5 Biggest Cyber Security Threats That Small Businesses Face And How To Stop Them.

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http://healthandsafety.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/2010MakingtheWorkplaceSafe.pdf

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https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=how+to+make+workplace+safe&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&t=1654094576421&u=%23p%3DGYYW14xkSWgJ

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https://www.ircroof.com/safety/the-effects-of-an-unsafe-working-environment/

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Throughout this series we have talked a lot about workplace safety and the various ways to keep your employees protected while on the job site. A safe work environment will reduce the amount of injuries and fatalities in a work place, but an unsafe work environment can lead to very hazardous situations for all employees. This is because unsafe and poor working conditions can negatively affect a person's physical and mental health. In this post we are going to discuss what the effects of an unsafe work environment could cause if not handled properly or timely.

What is an Unsafe Work Environment?

An unsafe work environment occurs when an employee is unable to perform his or her required daily duties because the physical conditions of the workplace are too dangerous. For instance, exposed wiring, broken equipment, hazardous materials, or asbestos could pose an unsafe working environment for employees. Some common unsafe acts are running, horseplay, not following procedures, inadequate housekeeping, blocked walkways, improper or damaged PPE and inadequate machine guarding, by-passing safety devices, unauthorized equipment operations and using drugs and alcohol. Even the smallest unsafe actions could lead to serious injury or death.

Classification of Unsafe Working Environments

Unsafe working environments are a threat to everyone, and they can occur in any environment. They can often be classified as ergonomic hazards, chemical hazards, or biological hazards, although not all dangers in the workplace fall under those categories.

Ergonomic Hazards

Ergonomic hazards are related to the way your job strains your body. Sometimes it's the type of work you do, such as work that requires you to use repetitive or awkward motions, or to lift things frequently; other times, it has to do with your body positions and your work environment, such as bad lighting or an improperly adjusted workstation.

Chemical Hazards

Chemical hazards are present any time you're exposed to any chemical preparation in the workplace, whether it's a solid, liquid, or gas. Chemicals can include cleaning products and solvents, vapors and fumes, and flammable materials. They can also include carbon monoxide, gasoline, and asbestos.

Biological Hazards

Biological hazards are those that come from working with people, plants, or animals. Blood and bodily fluids, bacteria and viruses, and even insect bites can be considered biological hazards. So can animal and bird droppings.

Understanding the Consequences of Unsafe Working Environments

Unsafe working conditions can have an enormous effect both financially and emotionally. The pain, suffering and possible death that come as a result of such accidents place a heavy burden on families and community. Injuries can also mean that the worker is unable to work, play sports, walk, or drive. The ramifications include financial, human and social costs. Furthermore, a report by The American Society of Safety Engineers says the aftermath of a fatal accident can go "far beyond" a financial cost to a company, it can also seriously threaten your workforce's psychological health and could potentially dent their productivity in the long run.

Have You Been Subjected to Unsafe Working Environments?

If you discover unsafe working conditions, you may have the right to refuse to work until your employer fixes the issue or investigates and finds that there is no imminent danger. That's only true if:

You have a reasonable, good-faith belief that the condition poses an immediate and substantial risk of serious injury or death

Your employer won't fix the condition

The danger is so immediate that you can't report the condition to OSHA

You don't have a reasonable alternative

It is the responsibility of the employer to establish a safe working environment, free from any hazards and complying with state and federal laws. This involves preventing work-related disease and injury, and designing a workplace that promotes well-being.

How to Reduce Accidents in an Unsafe Working Evironment

According to OSHA, workplaces that implement an appropriate health and safety management system can reduce their injury and illness costs by 40%. This implementation starts with the development of a plan to ensure your workplace is safe and adheres to OSHA rules and regulations guarding workplace safety. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently published a new set of guidelines for implementing a health and safety program within your workplace.

Knowledge is an important component in providing a safe work evironment. this is because knowing the correct procedures can keep accidents and injuries to a minimum.

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The Effects of an Unsafe Working Environment | Insulated Roofing Contractors

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Throughout this series we have talked a lot about workplace safety and the various ways to keep your employees protected while on the job site. A safe work environment will reduce the amount of injuries and fatalities in a work place, but an unsafe work environment can lead to very hazardous situations for all employees.

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https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/consequences-of-poor-health-safety-procedures/

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Sometimes it feels like there are too many health and safety requirements to handle. Pushing back your legally required cleaning schedule or missing one routine maintenance inspection for equipment might not seem that important at the time, but it can have serious consequences.

This article will demonstrate the real costs of neglecting your health and safety duties, which should motivate you to make health and safety a high priority in your business.

Cost of Poor Health and Safety

A poor health and safety culture can be disastrous for your business, clients, and employees, so it's important to invest time and money to get it right.

Increased Risk of Ill Health, Injury, and Death

Your failure to install adequate health and safety procedures can result in serious injuries or fatalities. A work-related illness or injury can not only put an employee out of work for a while and impact their quality of life; it may also damage your business's productivity, finances, and reputation - all of which can be difficult to recover from.

In the Summer of 2015, the Smiler roller coaster at Alton Towers crashed, resulting in life-altering injuries for four riders. A HSE investigation found that there were no faults on the track, on the cars, or on the system that was designed to keep the cars separate while the ride was running. But HSE investigators "found the root cause to be a lack of detailed, robust arrangements for making safety-critical decisions. The whole system [...] was not strong enough to stop a series of errors by staff when working with people on the ride".

Merlin Attractions were fined £5 million after pleading guilty to violating section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974. The crash resulted in two teenagers having to undergo amputations following the crash, with several others also injured. This was all a result of Merlin neglecting to make health and safety duties a higher priority.

The Smiler incident has acted as a reminder for the entire industry that safety is exceptionally critical. Alton Towers have since made technical improvements to the Smiler roller coaster and have improved their safety systems. Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said that "it is something we will never forget and it is something we are utterly determined will never be repeated."

Loss of Reputation

A good reputation is a crucial part of a business's success. It can bring you a greater volume of investors and clients, an improved community opinion of your business, and a larger number of individuals who will be eager to join your team. However, a poor health and safety culture will cost your reputation.

In 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed eleven people and seriously injured several others. The explosion was found to be a result of vaguely established safety rules, with BP receiving heavy criticism for the accident. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board concluded there were: "Several inadequate or missing regulatory attributes".

The disaster at Deepwater Horizon cost BP almost $40 billion, and their share prices plummeted.

Legal Repercussions

As an employer, it is your legal responsibility to make your workplace a safe environment for your employees. If you neglect your legal responsibility, you may face high legal costs, hefty fines, and the possibility of a jail sentence.

In July 2013, Crofty Point Metals Ltd in Swansea was the site of a deliberate arson attack which resulted in a fire and explosion. The owner was held responsible as security and safety measures were inadequate, despite knowing full well he needed to address them. He repeatedly ignored enforcement notices, both to the company and himself, that advised him to improve security to prevent unauthorised persons entering the site. Following their notices, HSE inspectors revisited the site in December 2016 and found open unmanned gates, loose gas cylinders scattered around, and inadequate safety standards.

The company pleaded guilty to violating Sections 2 (1) and 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 and received hefty fines. The site owner was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to breaching Sections 2 (1), 3 (1) and 37 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974, and was banned from being a director or manager of any company for 7 years.

Decrease in Productivity, Increase in Turnover

If you fail to recognise the importance of health and safety, your business may face a decrease in productivity and an increase in staff turnover as morale falls. After all, why should staff be motivated to work hard if you don't show that you value them enough to provide even the most basics of requirements? Everyone should feel safe when they go to work. If they don't, chances are they'll look elsewhere.

By respecting your health and safety responsibilities, you keep your staff motivated and retain good employees who can work productively and free of harm.

What to Read Next:

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What Are the Consequences Of Poor Health & Safety Procedures?

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Sometimes it feels like there are too many health and safety requirements to handle. Pushing back your legally required cleaning schedule or missing one routine maintenance inspection for equipment might not seem that important at the time, but it can have serious consequences.

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Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

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Protect yourself and your business by being aware of the common scams targeting small businesses.

How scammers con small businesses

Scams targeting small businesses come in various forms-from invoices for advertising or directory listings that were never requested to dubious office supplies that were never ordered.

Small business scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and scammers will go to great lengths to convince you that the documents they send you or the offers they make are legitimate.

However, they can easily copy or modify letterheads, names and logos to make them look real, or set up a professional-looking but fake website. Scammers can even gain access to your supplier's email account and intercept emails without either of you realising.

Scammers recognise that small business operators are busy and have fewer resources than large businesses, so they aim to take advantage of that.

Common scams targeting small business

Protect yourself

Limit how many people have authority to buy or order something for your business.

Keep your filing and accounting systems well organised-this will make it easier for you to detect bogus accounts and invoices. Double check every request for payment.

If you notice a supplier's usual bank account details have changed, call them to confirm.

Keep your office networks , computers, and mobile devices secure. Update your security software, change passwords and back up your data regularly. Store your backups offsite and offline. Stay Smart Online explains how to back-up your data.

Don't let tactics like bullying, negotiations for a lower price, or charges for unordered or unused goods affect your decision.

If you think a request is suspicious, independently check business details and do a search online.

Small business scams and cybercrime forum

The ACCC and the Institute of Public Accountants hosted a small business scams and cybercrime forum in May 2015.

The aim of the forum was to help small business operators and stakeholders understand the scam and cybercrime risks small businesses face and how they can protect themselves. The event featured three expert speakers and a question-and-answer panel discussion.

Have you been scammed?

If you become aware of a scam, or you've been scammed, let other people and your industry association know about it.

We encourage you to report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page. This helps us to warn people about current scams, monitor trends and disrupt scams where possible. Please include details of the scam contact you received, for example, email or screenshot.

We also provide guidance on where to get help.

More information

Protect yourself from scams. There are steps that everyone can take to keep safe from scams.

Online resources. Stay one step ahead of scammers by signing up for free email alerts and following us on Twitter.

Business scams fact sheet. A print-friendly version of some common scams targeting businesses.

Grant related scams. Be careful of websites that offer grant related services for a fee.

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Protect yourself and your business by being aware of the common scams targeting small businesses. Scams targeting small businesses come in various forms-from invoices for advertising or directory listings that were never requested to dubious office supplies that were never ordered.

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- Regularly inspect facilities and labor equipment

- Ensuring safety of labor and employees (following labor laws)

- Equip with safety equipment and warn of dangers at work

- improve incident prevention, emergency response in the workplace

- disseminate internal rules, regulations, measures to prevent and combat dangerous and harmful factors at the workplace

-  Training employees in measures to prevent and combat dangerous and harmful factors at work-related workplaces

- improve employees' lives, build a solidarity environment

- protect employees’ accounts by using multi-layer security

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- Fatal accidents or life-threatening injuries can cause financial burdens on both employees and employers.
- Psychological risks and reduction of productivity in the long run.
- Work related illness or injuries can put workers out of work for a while and also badly affect employers’ finance, productivity and reputation.
- Employers may get into trouble of legal repercussions, for example, fines or even life sentences.
- Increase in turnover’s rate.

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- To ensure the safety of employees, provide them with the necessary information, guidance, training, and monitoring.
- Provide adequate protective clothing and equipment where hazards cannot be avoided
- Obtain input from and work in tandem with workers and their designated representatives for health and safety (SHRs)

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Some incidents related to unsafe storage practices may even damage products, leading to costly repairs of the damaged product.

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https://www.rosstechnology.com/news/poor-safety-culture-risks/

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1. Phishing attacks
- Most phishing attacks targets humans within a company, rather than technological weaknesses. Phishing accounts for 90% of all security breaches facing companies, increasing 65% last year and causing business losses of over $12 billion.
2. Malware
- These attacks are particularly damaging for small businesses because they can cripple devices, which requires expensive repairs to fix. They can also give attackers a back door to access data, which can put customers and employees at risk. Small businesses are more likely to employ people who use their own devices for work, as it helps to save time and cost. This, however, increases their likelihood of suffering from a malware attack, as personal devices are much more likely to be at risk from malicious downloads.
3. Ransomware
- Ransomware encrypts company data so that it cannot be used or accessed,  forcing the company to pay a ransom to publish the data. This presents a difficult choice for businesses-paying a ransom, potentially losing huge amounts of money, or losing service due to data loss. SMEs are particularly vulnerable to this type of attack.  71% of ransomware attacks are reportedly targeting small businesses, with an average ransom demand of $ 116,000.