Small firms urged to “take care of business”
Monday 14th November
When it comes to workplace health and safety, small firms are being urged by the Health and Safety Authority to put their employees first. Small business owners and managers are being encouraged to attend a free health and safety expo on Tuesday 29th November in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone. The “Taking Care of Business” event will help small business owners and managers understand how effective management of workplace health and safety can benefit their business.
Health and safety legislation applies to all businesses regardless of size, but the Health and Safety Authority recognises that some small businesses may not be fully aware of their obligations. Paula Gough, Programme Manager with the Authority said,
“This initiative is designed to make health and safety easy to understand by removing jargon and providing common sense solutions to reduce the likelihood of accidents. Small business owners or managers who attend this event will see how improved health and safety practices can benefit their business.”
Attendees can view a series of ‘ Top Tip ’ presentations on workplace hazards and can visit an exhibition area with demonstrations of a new free online tool called BeSMART, Business electronic Safety Management And Risk assessment Tool. The online tool has been designed to help small businesses manage workplace health and safety in a straightforward way without the need for any specialist knowledge or major investment. Users can logon to the BeSMART system and use the step-by-step process to create a risk assessment that is tailored for their workplace.
Advisors from the Authority will be available to answer questions and provide advice specific to all business types.
Supported by Athlone Chamber of Commerce and Westmeath County Enterprise Board, the free event will run from 8.30am to 1pm and anyone who would like to attend can register at www.hsa.ie or email events@hsa.ie.