As a business owner where can you turn to for Health and Safety advice? A number of sources exist for business owners; some are free and some you will need to pay for. Depending on your requirements it is possible to find relevant and cost-effective Health and Safety advice to suit all budgets. It is likely paid sources will be able to save you time whereas free resources are perfectly legitimate but will take you time to research, interpret and act upon.
Health and Safety advice and guidance can be found from:
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - despite being the enforcement authority, they publish a large amount of information on every major safety related subject. Following HSE guidelines is a useful way to establish what you need to do to comply with the law however it may not go into enough detail for your particular industry
Chambers of Commerce and/or Business Link - aimed at the business community and cover a wide range of subject areas including Health and Safety. Depending on where you go, information can be very useful but sometimes often not as comprehensive as other sources but an excellent place to start.
External Health and Safety consultants will obviously charge for their services but can be useful for a specific reason e.g. providing company risk assessments. They will provide directly relevant information tailored to your company but will cost money.
External Information Sources. Many law firms, solicitors and some banks provide online services e.g. helpline and monthly updates which are excellent reference sources. Possibly too legal in their language and approach but can be useful when requiring a legal view point. Almost all of these services are paid for but you may get some included when you buy legal, insurance or banking products.
Internal Health and Safety Advisors (either full or part time). These are only likely to be employed by larger organisations and those with significant risks. This option will be expensive in monetary terms but maybe a necessary requirement to keep staff safe and your company legally compliant.
Safety Products Suppliers. Advice can be obtained from equipment suppliers, for example your fire extinguisher company can advise on relevant products, risk assessments, signage and training.
Specialist Resources e.g. asbestos testing, plant inspection etc are widely available and will charge for their services as they are specialist areas and you would expect to pay as you will have no alternative.
As outlined there are various sources available and it is likely you will use a mix of them to provide Health and Safety advice in your business.
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