Good health and safety record could give businesses benefits

Employers with good health and safety records could win more government contracts and receive tax benefits under new EU plans.

A five year strategy to reduce accidents at work was decided upon by MEPs last week at a sitting of the European Parliament last week.

Speaking to Personneltoday.com, Glenn Wilmott the East Midlands MEP who drafted the EU policy, said: "This strategy calls for a carrot-and-stick regime, so companies with good health and safety records should have preference in state tenders, and member states should look at giving them tax rebates."

He added that the policy would work the other way, with companies who perform poorly and continue to do so receiving tough sanctions.

The strategy is part of a policy to reduce workplace accidents by 25 per cent over the course of the next five years.

Meanwhile, recent figures show that one worker dies as the result of an accident every three and a half minutes in the EU.

Find out more about health and safety in the workplace