Guide tackles 'overzealous' interpetration of rules

A government minister has endorsed a new ABI guide to tackling over zealous interpretations of health and safety rules for charities and small businesses.

The guide gives simple, practical advice to businesses and the voluntary sector to help them assess risk without burdening themselves with excessive concerns.

It also offers tips on obtaining a competitive insurance quote and building evidence of risk management that can be used in defence of a claim.

The guide’s five principles are:

1.    Get evidence of senior management commitment on health and safety issues

2.    Designate a competent person to be responsible for health and safety or seek an external specialist

3.    Adopt a structured approach to planning, monitoring and reviewing health and safety

4.    Complete a suitable and sufficient risk assessment

5.    Encourage employees to be supportive of health and safety practices.

Welcoming the guide, housing and local government minister Grant Shapps said: “Health and safety needs to be proportionate to risk. All too often tick-box bureaucracy and the fear of falling foul of the rules, gets in the way of common sense, tying up firms in unnecessary red tape and preventing voluntary groups from holding local community events.”

ABI Director of General Insurance Nick Starling said: “Organisations want to focus on what they do best and insurance is designed to help them not block them, despite what some of the myths would have us believe. The five key principles outlined in the guide provide small businesses and the voluntary sector with much needed clarity on health and safety issues.”