Running a business can be hard and one of the most complex aspects of doing so is maintaining a budget for the entire business. All important things should be in the budget such as wages, plant & equipment, stationary supplies, staff functions, etc. But what about a specific budget for Health & Safety? This is often forgotten by many workplaces. However, below I have put together a "non-exhaustive" list of possible items which could be included in a dedicated Health & Safety budget. Even if your business dedicates an overall set amount to health & safety, this list may help you to divide that overall amount up into smaller segments.

Training - including HSR/Committee training, manual handling training, risk management, office ergonomics, etc
Personal Protective Equipment - this list can be extensive and varies depending on the hazards and risks at your workplace
Auditing - including a budget for at least bi-annual auditing from an external auditor provides confidence in the health & safety system being operated at the workplace
Maintenance & Equipment - Purchasing new equipment and then having a scheduled maintenance program for such is key to ensuring workplace safety
Personnel - the wages and expenses of the key work, health & safety personnel should be included here. Often the Return To Work Coordinator may also be included within this area of the budget
Insurance - including workers compensation. Many workplaces also tie the workers compensation premium back to individual departments so any increase from claims goes directly back to the department where the injury occurred
Work Health & Safety Activities - although it may not be a specific line in a budget, all workplaces should consider the additional time required for workers to undertake certain health and safety activities, whether that be doing pre-start risk assessments, attending awareness sessions, toolbox meetings, etc

As noted above, this list is not exhaustive. However, starting with at least some form of "budget" for health and safety shows both a commitment from senior management to this key workplace function but also allows the personnel working in the area of health and safety to apply some strategic thinking in how best to utilise the monies set aside for this important business function.