A survey conducted by Peninsula, the UK's largest health and safety firm, has found employers are struggling to keep up with health and safety regulations.
An alarming 69% of the 2167 employers polled claimed they were unaware that health and safety checks were compulsory for all businesses regardless of size and 42% of employers last carried out a check on risk assessment procedures over a year ago.
62% said they did meet the minimum requirements but could do more to improve safety in the workplace.
Noel Pilling, Health and Safety Director at Peninsula said: "It's imperative that all employers really begin to take note of health and safety issues. From this survey it is so surprising and almost shocking how negligible employers can be with their own business with not ensuring proper checks are carried out in order to meet minimum standards of basic health and safety.
"Increasingly insurance premiums are rising and the importance of health and safety cannot be underestimated with lax procedures and practices leading to huge financial pitfalls. Companies' image and reputation can be tarnished through lack of due care and duty of employee's".
67% of those polled believed accidents were inevitable.
