"We'd previously used a big health and safety consultancy firm and received a fat folder of generic, unhelpful documentation which didn't help us at all and had cost a small fortune. We were struggling when Kate was recommended.
Kate's expertise means that she has been able to help us understand what we do and don't need to do and where to focus first. Kate has made health and safety simple and she takes a sensible, realistic approach, demonstrating a real understanding of our business needs." DG
Small Business
Myth: health and safety law doesn't apply if you employee less than 5 people.
Reality: The law does apply; you just don't have to write some of it down if there are less than 5 of you.
Setting up and running a small business is not easy, I know I've been there. There is so much to think about and do, but consider how you'd feel if you lost everything after all that hard work?
Fire is a very real risk for every business, so it is essential that you do what you can to prevent it from destroying your assets or your ability to stay up and running.
When you're just a small team, having a member of the team off, even for a few days, can have a big impact on your business. Preventing absence due to ill-health or injury makes good business sense. See how much even a minor accident can cost.
The work that I do at Sah Sen is designed to help you manage and minimise these risks. Yes of course there are specific health and safety regulations but despite what you may have read in the papers, these requirements are actually about sensible, practical measures, allowing you to get on and do the job. Health and safety doesn't stop pancake races, children from playing conkers or using a ladder to change a light bulb - these are all health and safety myths.
If you haven't got anything in place yet, have a look the Sah Sen compliance pack which is designed to help you get the basics in place for health and safety and fire safety. Maybe you've made a start and have got stuck, in which case contact me - I can help you.
Health and Safety is like owning a car
Many business owners get fazed by health and safety, so I often use the analogy of owning a car.
You have to get your car MOT'd to ensure that minimum checks are done to keep the car road worthy and safe. This is a minimum legal requirement.
Most reasonable drivers will also carry out routine checks on oil, water and tyres in between MOTs, recognising that a failure in one of these areas could have costly or serious consequences.
Most drivers will see the benefit of regular servicing. A car is one of your most expensive assets and regular servicing keeps the car going for longer, helps with running costs like fuel efficiency and, of course, can help identify faults before they become too expensive or dangerous.
Health and safety (and fire) is much the same. There are minimum legal requirements - your businesses MOT - but if you're sensible and serious about your business, you will do routine checks and carry out regular servicing. In your business, your staff are your most expensive asset (and most important), so helping them stay healthy and productive is not only the best thing for them, it makes good business sense too - helping your business be more efficient and profitable.
Can you do the work yourself, or do you need a mechanic?
It may be that you are competent, confident and have the time to carry out the checks and servicing yourself but if this isn't the case, I can help. You might not understand the law or how to check your business against those requirements, so you go to someone who does.
So think of Sah Sen as your health, safety and fire mechanic. I can help you understand the legal requirements, making sure you can at least pass your MOT (that's what my compliance pack is designed for). I can also carry out the routine checks and 'servicing', making sure I keep your business running as smoothly as possible.
Contact me to discuss your needs and how I will be able to help you.
