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Health and Safety for New Businesses
Emma Matlock • March 29, 2020
Like most businesspeople when setting up a new venture, Health and Safety can often be a last thought. It is easy to get carried away in the excitement of what the future might hold and the glossier side of business such as sales or marketing, but H&S really shouldn’t be overlooked.
Depending on exactly what your new business does will depend on the level of risks it faces. The risks aren’t just limited to yourself as the founder either, they could span to employees and visitors to the business and its premises or places of work.
So, what are the benefits of outsourcing H&S to an external specialist?
There are many benefits, but the main ones will come down to keeping your people and premises safe, having peace of mind, and simply reducing and managing the risks and knowing you are operating correctly and compliantly.
The common misconception with outsourced H&S is that it is expensive. Whilst some companies may charge a small fortune our costs start at just £85 per month for a low-risk business with up to 20 employees.
That’s a small price to pay for a professional service and all-round peace of mind too…
Here are some of the key elements that any new business should look for from an H&S provider :
- Their own dedicated Health and Safety advisor – this is important as it allows the relationship to develop and a true and deep understanding of the business, requirements and risks to be gained
- Risk assessment templates and control documents – you don’t need to do the hard work; the documents can be provided meaning you can concentrate on running your business
- Informative updates on changes to legislation – you’ll always want to be up to date on what’s changing and how it affects your business
- Fact sheets – you will always have lots of questions and when they do arise a fact sheet can quickly answer them for you and allow you to implement any measures to reduce the risk
- Assistance with HSE & Local Authorities – when dealing with these departments its always a good idea to be guided by a professional.
- Annually updated documents in line with business changes and legislative updates
- Health and Safety helpline to answer your questions when you need to discuss them
- Fire Risk Assessment and Health and Safety Compliance Audit completed annually
- Safety signs and personal protective equipment delivered next day
- Health and Safety compliance performance board report provided annually
- Staff training at discounted rates
- On-site training for your businesses, half-day per year.
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