29-10-2007
IOSH issues safety advice for small firms
Many small businesses do not adequately maintain their health and safety records, according to Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) president Lisa Fowlie.
This could cause problems for these firms if there is ever a breach of standards, Ms Fowlie suggests.
Good health and safety practice "actually generates good business practice" and helps with overall business operations, she adds.
"[Small businesses] tend to look at health and safety as a standalone subject, rather than what they're actually doing," said Ms Fowlie.
"So they're probably putting it into practice, but not keeping the right paperwork. It's not a huge paper trail, but they're not actually keeping the records of what they're doing."
Earlier this week, the IOSH highlighted employers liability insurance as one form of protection for businesses if employees try to sue them for poor health and safety standards.
Additionally, according to Health and Safety Executive figures from 2005-06, two million people were suffering from an illness they believed had been caused or aggravated by their current or past work.