15-11-2007
Lack of health & safety dangerous for small businesses
News by Adfero for Simply Business - independent providers of business insurance, business finance, landlord insurance, buy-to-let mortgages & commercial mortgages.
Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has offered new advice to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The HSE has sought to highlight the importance of following health and safety laws by drawing attention to the way in which such legislation acts to protect SMEs.
Indeed, according to the HSE, it is the responsibility of SME owners to protect their employees.
"If someone is going to get sick or get hurt it can really have a very detrimental effect on a small business; they have got less in the way of resources," said a representative for the HSE.
"Health and safety law is there to protect people at work and people that aren't at work, whose health and safety could be compromised if things aren't done properly," he added.
Among the acts which employers should be aware of include the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
In related news, between 2006 and 2007, data released by the HSE shows that a total of 2.2 million individuals were faced with a medical condition they believe to have been the result of - or made worse by - their present or previous place of work.