Small businesses need to be given clear guidance on office space health and safety, according to the British Safety Council (BSC).
The BSC said that advice on how to comply with British health and safety laws is often overly complex and in some cases contradictory – leaving many office space managers in the dark when it comes to compliance.
Neal Stone, director of policy and research at the organisation, said simple and proportionate advice – particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – is essential considering the severe penalties that are associated with non-compliance.
Commenting on the government’s proposed shake-up of health and safety legislation, Mr Stone said: “There are some very, very important, fundamental proposals that go to the heart of how health and safety is regulated in this country.
“Necessary time has to be taken to make sure that [SMEs] understand the implications of any changes and can be sure they will do nothing to undermine our improving health and safety record.”
Professor Rory O’Neill, editor of the safety magazine Hazards, recently claimed that cutting the number of workplace safety inspections could be detrimental to the UK’s workforce.
