Is there light at the end of the tunnel for employers with Government promises to check the compensation culture?

I’m sure many employers last week breathed a sigh of relief at the news of the Government plans to encourage a more common sense approach to Health and Safety. I believe the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be equally relieved as they are frequently blamed for some of the dafter “Elf & Safety” initiatives and have to issue disclaimers that they are not responsible for councils banning lamp post mounted flower baskets in fear of falling flowers or children not being allowed to paddle on a school trip.

Unions have voiced their concern that this initiative of the Coalition Government may put employees at risk. I very much doubt this would be the case for now at least, there is a growing paternalistic culture in the UK which will always seek to protect the vulnerable.

It is this culture that will always mean that the requirement to have a robust Health and Safety Management System, with clear risk assessments and evidence of training, will reap benefits for all businesses.

The Management Standard BS OHSAS 18001 is a framework of best practice which, if implemented, could go a long way to reducing the likelihood of accidents which lead to lost time, profits and potentially legal action.

Are your suppliers taking care of your interests? Lessons from BP

I’m really pleased to see that further steps are being taken to try and stem the flow of oil off Louisiana, this is an environmental disaster of epic proportions, not to mention that there won’t be shrimp gumbo being served for miles around this year!

BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig was leased from and operated by Transocean who were responsible for the safe and ethical operation of the facility. BP are now facing severe consequences as a result of a contractor’s actions.

Supplier selection and control is a key part of the management standards ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and BS OHSAS 18001 (Health & Safety) and not something that can be taken lightly in businesses where these decisions can have serious overreaching consequences.

The question that must be asked of businesses of all sizes, is how confident are you that your suppliers are acting in your best interests? Decisions such as these can make or break a business.