Aim to help Scottish businesses improve Health and Safety

A new initiative is being launched to help companies in Scotland improve their health and safety records.

High-performance firms are to be encouraged to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) reduce fatalities and illnesses in the workplace, by sharing ideas and experiences in a series of seminars.

Judith Hackitt, chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), believes there is considerable advice available to companies and that it will benefit the participants.

"We want employers to recognise that their most valuable resource is their workers and that protecting their health and safety is fundamental to improving business performance, as well as being a legal requirement," she said.

Figures show that around 200,000 people in Scotland suffered from an illness they believed was caused or exacerbated by their employment conditions.

Last year, a £1.2 million scheme to improve health and safety for Scottish workers was launched by the HSE and local authorities.