SMEs breaking health and safety laws
Just under 80% of small businesses are breaking health and safety laws according to a survey by St John Ambulance.
The survey revealed that 79% of businesses admit to having periods of time where no trained first aiders are present in the workplace, while 15% have never carried out an assessment to determine risks within the workplace.
According to the charity, there were 1,100 cases of businesses being taken to court because of health and safety failings last year, of which 87% were found guilty of malpractice.
“Health and safety is certainly not something that should be skimped on but we realise that smaller businesses can find it daunting when faced with the prospect of dealing with risk assessments, protocols and legal obligations,” said Richard Evens, training and marketing director at St John Ambulance.
