Pictured: Ruth Ross
Businesses across Shropshire are being urged to ensure their
health and safety procedures are up to date ahead of plans to
introduce financial penalties for even the most minor breaches of
regulations.
Under controversial proposals that could come into force as
early as April 2012, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is
intending to charge companies in 'material breach' of any
legislation with the cost of carrying out inspections and preparing
letters and enforcement notices.
Shrewsbury-based consultancy Building Trust in Safety Ltd claims
the new 'fee for fault' principle could hit local firms with a
£750 bill per letter, or £1,500 charge per enforcement
notice, even if no accident actually takes place.
"These charges are being introduced to help the HSE reclaim some
of the cost involved in the work it carries out inspecting premises
and identifying potential problems. The implications of these
charges for small businesses in particular could be catastrophic,"
Ruth Ross, Managing Director of Building Trust in Safety Ltd,
explained. "As yet, there is no firm definition of what constitutes
a 'material breach' - which is a situation that could cause an
accident - so companies may end up being penalised for fairly minor
issues."
To help businesses avoid being on the receiving end of the new
charges, Building Trust in Safety has developed a free Health and
Safety Checklist, comprising a short series of simple questions
which businesses can work through to discover if they have any
issues that may fall foul of the current regulations.
"While the checklist doesn't cover every single eventuality, it
does offer a good guide as to whether a company could have any
problems that need addressing. Any business interested in receiving
a copy of the checklist should email me at ruth@btsltd.co.uk, and
if any of their answers flag up potential problems, we'd be more
than happy to also carry out a full, no-obligation free health and
safety appraisal, which will review all current policies and
procedures, and offer advice on any specific steps that need to be
taken to comply with all relevant rules and regulations."
Building Trust in Safety Ltd was launched in 1999 and is now one
of the most respected health and safety consultancies in the UK,
with a head office in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and a network of
experienced consultants operating across Derbyshire,
Leicestershire, Lancashire and the North West of England. Offering
a comprehensive and practical solution to all health and safety
needs across all industry sectors, Building Trust in Safety's team
of dedicated specialists provides an extensive range of services,
enabling businesses to flourish without fear.