Latest business news from Groundwork Trust

Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale

Good health & safety = good business

Make a new years resolution to review and update your health & safety systems and you might be surprised how your business can benefit financially. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is launching a new campaign this month to highlight to small firms the possible cost savings which can be made through good health & safety practice.

More and more firms are recognising the importance of good health & safety practice and the difference it can make to their business performance. The HSE’s campaign centres around a website featuring simple and practical actions to take, case studies and the costs of not looking after health and safety.

Case studies show that one company saved £12 for every £1 it spent and one company reduced employee insurance claims by 73% and 18% fewer days were lost to injuries.

New Safety Statistics

The latest statistics on workplace injury and work related ill health have been published. Overall for 2004-05 there were 220 fatal injuries, mainly occurring in the construction and agricultural industries. There were 30,213 reported major injuries, one third of which were caused by slipping and tripping. 120,346 over 3-day injuries were reported in 2004-05, two fifths of which were caused by handling, lifting and carrying incidents. Overall it was stated that reportable incidents have decreased since 2003-04 but more can be done.

Fleet Managers could be forced to pay for offences

Fleet managers could end up paying for their drivers’ offences if they fail to make sure they are licensed to drive. Although drivers will incur fines and penalty points for driving offences whilst disqualified, if the employee is on business at the time, those directly responsible for the vehicles will also be punished. This means a fleet manager could get points and a fine if one of their drivers is convicted of certain offences.

The person responsible for checking the licence is also the person responsible for getting penalty points. At one company the fleet manager got six penalty points on his licence because two of his drivers didn’t have a licence. The Road Traffic Act 1988 is more likely to affect fleet managers as the number of disqualified drivers is increasing, which makes checking licences more important.

Watch your Waste line

Do you want to save a few pounds after the expensive Christmas period? How about reducing your waste line? This is where Groundwork can help with a new website. Waste Works is an online waste exchange services for local companies across the north west. The service aims to increase business profitability by reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and encouraging the reduction, re-use and recycling of waste.

If you have any waste items that you think other companies could reuse or recycle then register online at
www.wasteworks.org.uk.

For further information on any of the above subjects please contact Groundwork EBS - 0161 624 1444.