Funding for health and safety needs
Aug 05 2002
A pilot scheme to help small businesses with health and safety regulations has been set up by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
The scheme, which is being piloted through Business Links in West Yorkshire, Essex and Devon and Cornwall, provides funding to help "micro firms" (10 or fewer employees) improve their health and safety performance, an area in which small firms often struggle.
The aim of the HSE is to improve the awareness and understanding of small companies and demonstrate that health and safety compliance does not need to be "expensive, time-consuming or complicated".
It can provide up to 50% of funding with a maximum of £1,000. This can be used to undertake training in the shape of awareness seminars run by Business Link for start-ups. Practical advice and assistance, known as "mentoring", from a small business adviser is also available to start-up companies. Small firms established for more than a year can choose between the mentoring and training options.
Both training and mentoring teach small businesses how to do a "risk assessment" and, in the case of firms with more than 5 employees, how to document this as the law requires.
Advisers will also work with individual companies to draw up an appropriate health and safety policy and will explain how to implement it successfully.
To be eligible for the scheme a business must have either an annual turnover of under £4.5 million or an annual balance sheet of below £3.2 million. Small businesses in the pilot areas should call Business Link on the numbers below for more information.
Devon & Cornwall – 0845-600 9966
Essex – 01245-241400
West Yorkshire – 0113-383 7733
A source of information about health and safety regulations and guidance is the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk, which has a dedicated small firms section. There is also an HSE Infoline for general queries on 08701-545500.
(5/8/02)
There are currently no comments on this article
Comments