Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) genuinely want to improve their health and safety but perceived costs, business pressures and other constraints mean they often fail to do so, the Health and Safety Executive has said.
As a result, the HSE has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging SMEs to take health and safety more seriously, and to recognise the business benefits that can come as a result.
The Better Business Campaign has suggested that, while 57% of small businesses make a New Year’s resolution to do better at health and safety, 21% break it within a fortnight and 43% within a month.
More than half fail to maintain momentum because they feel their planned changes are either too expensive or take up too many resources.
“It’s easy to overlook or neglect health and safety measures,” said Judith Donovan, health and safety commissioner for small businesses. “Preventative measures can benefit businesses financially by averting work-based incidents, and the associated staff and workplace costs that follow.”
The campaign is focusing on raising awareness about the financial and personal costs and causes of workplace incidents.
More information can be found on www.hse.gov.uk/betterbusiness/index.htm
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