| A significant number of small to medium-sized | | | | not onerous, it's actually helping them to |
| businesses (SMBs) are not keeping their | | | | keep best practice and keep the business up |
| health and safety records up to date, it has | | | | and running and operating," Ms Fowlie |
| been claimed - meaning many are in breach of | | | | continued. |
| standards. | | | | |
| | | | "Good health and safety practice actually |
| According to Lisa Fowlie, president of the | | | | generates good business practice." |
| Institution of Occupational Safety and Health | | | | |
| (IOSH), small businesses in general are not | | | | Ms Fowlie went on to warn small firms that |
| fully au fait with health and safety | | | | even if they are still of the opinion that |
| guidelines and regulations, and often view | | | | health and safety procedures are an unwanted |
| them in a negative light. | | | | distraction, they should still do all they |
| | | | can to ensure they are fully compliant with |
| Rather than being seen an attempt to improve | | | | the law - because if they don't, the Health |
| standards in businesses, she said, too often | | | | and Safety Executive or the local authorities |
| SMBs see health and safety legislation as | | | | will be on their backs. |
| being detrimental to their cause. | | | | |
| | | | In order to reduce the burden of red tape |
| However, Ms Fowlie has suggested that | | | | while ensuring that they remain on the right |
| applying health and safety law is not only | | | | side of the law, Ms Fowlie advised firms to |
| "very easy to do", but also confers positive | | | | keep things simple. |
| benefits. She admitted, though, that these | | | | |
| are facts all too often lost on small | | | | "You don't want overkill; you don't want |
| businesses. | | | | masses and masses of files if you don't need |
| | | | them," she said. |
| "It's very difficult to get the message | | | | |
| across to small businesses, because by their | | | | "You want to put what we call sensible risk |
| nature they have got very few people [so | | | | management in, so that they can continue with |
| there's an issue] of who actually takes the | | | | what they're doing, rather than anything that |
| role on… People think that you have to | | | | stops them doing it." |
| have a huge amount of red tape, and that if | | | | |
| you start on [health and safety procedures] | | | | Disclaimer: |
| then it's going to stop them operating," she | | | | |
| commented. | | | | This article has been written for information |
| | | | and interest purposes only. The information |
| "Whereas in actual fact, a lot of small | | | | contained within this article is the opinion |
| businesses are very low risk and so the | | | | of the author only, and should not be |
| actual implementation is very reasonable and | | | | construed as advice or used to make financial |
| very easy to do. There's a lack of | | | | decisions. Expert financial advice should |
| understanding quite often. | | | | always be sought and any links contained |
| | | | within this article are included for |
| "Getting health and safety into businesses is | | | | information purposes only. |