A top priority

It couldn’t be put more plainly. Health and safety as an issue is here to
stay. It presents big challenges in terms of injuries or worse to you staff and
could spell disaster for your business if a careful and mature approach is not
adopted.

That’s why Lane says it’s a big issue for boards. Responsible directors don’t
want their staff injured and they don’t want their business interrupted.

The reasons are obvious. As our writers point out, more than 35 million work
days are lost each year to occupational ill-health, costing the UK economy £1bn.
Injuries amounted to 350,000, with 200 people being killed.

Those are grim statistics. But they have not been compiled to persuade you
that being in business isn’t worth it. They demonstrate only that running a
business is dicey if you fail to take the right steps to reduce the risk.

This special focus on health and safety aims to help you with some simple
guidance about the issues and what you should be doing to tackle them.

Among SMEs it may well be that finance directors are left to resolve these

matters, especially as they might involve the purchase of insurance cover for
employees at work.

This health and safety special is aimed at helping FDs see how the right
approach can reduce insurance premiums; how your auditor can play a role
identifying the risks you face and how company car fleets can present their own
particular health and safety threat. Elsewhere we say why a decent risk
assessment is necessary, and how to go about finding the right consultant to
help you avoid the dangers.

Clearly, we can’t be comprehensive ­ but hopefully we can get you started

on a safer path.