Dumfries businesses are first for safety - Local firms attend first of Scotland-wide free safety briefings

Date:

17 November 2010

Release No:

SCO/203/10

Representatives from more than forty Dumfries businesses today (17 November) took part in the first of a series of free health and safety events planned to take place across Scotland.

The aim of the event, organised by the Partnership for Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS), was to encourage small businesses to take responsibility for leading on health and safety in their business. They heard about health and safety support available in their area and had an informal opportunity to meet health and safety regulators from Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

As well as learning about the importance of leadership, delegates heard about the services on offer from the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives and the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland.

David Wilson from Hetland Garden Centre also shared his experience of managing health and safety in a small business with an audience drawn from a wide range of industries.

Mr Wilson said:

"Small businesses, such as mine, often find it difficult to know where to start with health and safety. They either end up losing sight of the real risks by over-doing it or burying their heads in the sand, putting their staff in danger. It doesn't have to be difficult and there are good sources of free advice and support from the organisations here today. We called on the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives for advice and have really benefited. I hope we have shown people today that good leadership is partly about getting the right support."

PHASS is Scotland's partnership for improving workplace health and safety. Speaking after this first event as Chair, Hugh Robertson, HSE Board member, welcomed the good attendance, saying:

"I'm delighted we were able to show so many firms from the local business community here in Dumfries that good health and safety is not about excessive bureaucracy or costly management systems.

"HSE's and Local Authorities' goal is to customise the approach to increasing numbers of SMEs in different sectors helping them comply with their health and safety obligations. Strong leadership in championing a common-sense approach to health and safety helps people distinguish between real health and safety issues and trivial or ill-informed criticism.

"Although the numbers are small, Dumfries and Galloway has quite a high rate of injury compared to other parts of Scotland. Let's hope today helps reduce it."

Notes to editors

1. The Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS) was formed in 2005. It aims to target Scotland's priorities for delivering higher standards of health and safety more effectively. and helps co-ordinate effort across devolved and reserved government interests to promote the benefits to people, businesses, and Scotland's economy, of working in a safe and healthy environment.
2. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk

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