Free Safety Advice for Retailers & Hospitality Businesses

Photo of a tray of cakes

More working days are lost through injuries to staff within the retail & hospitality sectors than in the construction industries.

For many smaller retailers, food establishments, hotels, shops, pubs, restaurants and wholesalers keeping up to date with health & safety laws can seem like a massive task but free support & advice is now available.

Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale together with its partners, including Rochdale Council, recently secured funding from the Health & Safety Executive’s Workers’ Safety Adviser (WSA) Challenge Fund which is designed to increase worker involvement and consultation with the aid of a Worker Safety Adviser.

Launch events have been held in Rochdale & Oldham where a number of companies have already signed up to take part in the scheme.  These businesses will have a dedicated Worker Safety Advisor who will review their current work practices, produce an action plan for improvement, and provide training opportunities and a telephone helpline.

The free scheme is available to small businesses based in Rochdale or Oldham and is supported by a wide range of partners including Oldham Council, Asian Business Association (ABA), Kashmir Youth Project (KYP) and Voluntary Action Oldham.

Nicola Lace, Business Services Manager at Groundwork said, “To reduce the high accident and incident rates associated with retail and hospitality sectors it is essential that a company understand its true operational risks. This can only be generated from the employees, the people on the ‘shop floor’. The project will enable employees to get involved and make a difference.”

Further information is available from Karen Cox at Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale on 0161 624 1444 or by email to karen.cox@groundwork.org.uk.