Independent Advice for Business is urging business owners to invest in gaining health and safety accreditation to ensure they are complaint with legislation.
The specialist business advisers have noted an upturn in the number of new clients that have engaged them for health and safety advice or to become accredited, and do not have sufficient policies and procedures in place to protect staff and customers.
David Dennis, Independent Advice for Business’ health and safety expert, explains: “Over the past year alone we have engaged with a number of businesses that thought they were compliant, only to find they weren’t.
“For example, one client that engaged us in September last year, in advance of a November audit, was certain that its previous health and safety support company had provided all the necessary documentation and risk assessments. But, on closer inspection we found the fire risk assessment only covered the workshop and not the offices.
“Fortunately, we had sufficient time to get the documentation in place. Subsequently they successfully achieved ISO 14001:205- environmental management systems – and BS OH SAS 18001:2007 occupational health and safety certifications in December 2016, but it’s not just about the paperwork, it’s about ensuring you are protecting your staff and customers.”
To help businesses ensure they are compliant, Independent Advice for Business suggest businesses put themselves through the rigor of gaining health and safety accreditation.
“In our experience, going through the process of gaining BS OH SAS 18001:2007 certification – the recognised occupational health and safety accreditation – provides business owners with the chance to identify where the potential gaps are, while also placing health and safety at the heart of business operations – meaning you are fully abreast of what improvements need to be made, and when, as part of the businesses continuous improvement process. In addition, you know that you are covered, because you have had to prove it to an external auditing body.”
Independent Advice for Business recognise that being BS OH SAS 18001:2007 accredited does not prevent accidents happening, BUT it means that if everyone knows and acts on what they are supposed to be doing, it reduces the likelihood of accidents occurring.
Find out more about gaining BS OH SAS 18001:2007 occupational health and safety certification.
