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Written by
on 26 May 2011

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Health and Safety Regulations Survey by British Chamber of Commerce

According to a survey carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce, health and safety laws and regulations are getting in the way of expansion.  Sole traders are so concerned with the red tape regarding their responsibilities in providing a safe working environment that they are not prepared to start taking on employees. It appears that many would benefit from using health and safety consultants to help give them advice on taking their business to the next level.

Interesting Study Reveals Concerns for Sole Traders

The British Chambers of Commerce asked 1000 sole traders to take part in their survey, and it found that almost 200 of the traders found that the rules were a significant, or a total deterring factor which was stopping them from taking on their first employee.

They also found that low risk industries were as concerned as the high risk industries which includes construction and agriculture. It made no difference as to what the sector was which made the BCC suggest that the Health and Safety Executive approach which is risk-based was failing to work.

The survey was taken by 6000 businesses in total, and not purely aimed at sole traders.  The results showed that almost 3000 found the regulations to be a problem, and they felt the weight of health and safety regulations heavily on their shoulders. This goes to show that there are still many aspects of the laws which are not fully understood, and the companies could benefit from gaining some further insight into what their duties are as employers.

The BCC are hoping that the Health and Safety Executives will consider these findings and work out a simpler way to make the regulations more industry specific. It appreciates that health and safety is important, but there are concerns as to how the laws in the EU are being implemented here.

Get a Grasp on Your Duties as an Employer

There comes a time for most businesses when it is necessary to take on additional employees.  To help you understand what you are expected to do you can make use of the health and safety services offered by the professionals.  There are various services available including training courses, which can be extremely beneficial to first time employers.

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, whether it is construction or the media, you will need to provide a safe environment for your team to work in.  The Office health and safety service offered by Veritas Consulting helps you to understand the legal requirements that you have which includes providing health and safety training as standard.

You need to be aware of what the hazards are which include the health problems that are caused from working within an office.  This includes repetitive strain injuries and general aches and pains caused by sitting for long periods at a desk.  There are also risks of eye strains caused by looking at screens for extended periods, as well as keeping the area clean and tidy to reduce the risk of slips and falls within the workplace.

To help you go ahead and start employing staff to work with you use health and safety consultants.  Contact the experts on 0800 1488 677 and start making safe steps in the right direction.

About 

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.

One Comment
  • Astutis says:

    There is some very sound advice in this article. Health and Safety regulations and ‘red tape’ can completely overwhelm sole traders and very small companies.

    This is no excuse for a halt on progress though, health and safety consultants and training are now so widely available. A point to mention though, always check that you are being quoted a competitive price and that the qualifications are recognised.

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