New 'Simply Safety' campaign launched

"Simply Safety" is a series of one page guides aimed at a broad spectrum of trades including manufacturers, caterers, builders and retailers. Each guide will be available to download free of charge from the Norwich Union Risk Services (NURS) website.

Brian Wallace, head of NURS, explained: "Not everyone in business needs to have in-depth technical knowledge of health and safety. However, we do believe it's important that everyone - employers and employees - understands the basics.

"The idea behind this campaign is to provide monthly bite-sized chunks of easy to understand information over the course of a year. That way people can build their knowledge of health and safety at a comfortable pace, while allowing them to get on with their other day to day responsibilities."

Brian added: "The 'Simply Safety' sheets are an ideal solution for busy small business owners. Health and safety managers in larger firms will also find them a handy way of passing on information to others in their organisation."

Topics to be covered over the coming months include electrical safety, fire safety and health and safety policy.

Risk assessments

The campaign begins this month by looking at the importance of risk assessments and outlines the key factors to helping keep staff and equipment safe.

"Often viewed as a box ticking exercise, the reality is quite the opposite," said Phil Grace, Norwich Union's casualty risk manager. "Risk assessments are the cornerstone of managing risk in the workplace and the foundation on which employers can make the working environment safe for employees."

While 63% of the 3,000 firms visited by NURS’ risk advisers in 2007 were judged to have risk assessments that were 'good' or 'very good', more than a third (37%) were judged to be 'poor'.

"Businesses should be aware that a risk assessment is a means to an end and the first step in developing a safe working environment," said Phil.

"A risk assessment survey is a simple process that offers businesses sound risk management advice and should be a fundamental part of a business philosophy that is taken seriously from the very top level of a company."

To download/view the first 'Simply Safety' sheet covering risk assessments click here.