Small businesses in the North East now have free access to professional occupational health advice to help with individual employee health issues following the launch of a new advice-line.
The advice-line, delivered by NHS Plus, will run until 31 March 2011.
Employers can call the advice-line on 0800 0 77 88 44
850 of businesses in the North East are set to benefit from a £125m ’super fund’. The new fund - formerly called JEREMIE - underpins the growth of business start-ups, technology-based companies and growing smaller businesses, helping to create jobs and prosperity for the region through targeted loans and equity investments. 5 management companies will target loans and equity investments into the identified areas
Compete North East’s role is to help North East businesses identify and win major public and private sector tender opportunities, assisting them in identifying and overcoming the barriers which prevent them from bidding for and winning new work. By commissioning a series of focused programmes, the service aims to provide businesses access to expert advice to support them through the process and ensure they are ready to tender ready.
For further information visit www.competenortheast.com or www.competefor.com
BUSINESSES across the North-East have been urged to start preparing now for new legislation that will give agency staff equal treatment in the workplace.
The EU-inspired Temporary Agency Workers Directive is due to come into force next year.
It will mean that workers supplied through an employment firm will be entitled to full rights, including holiday pay and sickness benefits, after just 12 weeks in their jobs.
The radical moves could have a major impact on firms of all sizes, according to BiB Insurance, the region’s biggest independent broker.
The Darlington-based firm is calling on companies to ensure they are ready for the full effects of the directive coming into effect in December 2011.
The legislation will ensure that, once the qualifying period has been served, temporary workers will be entitled to equal treatment on pay, holiday and sick pay, benefits such as use of sports facilities or canteens, flexi-time, childcare, medical and dental insurance and care.
Every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related disease. If you carry out work on a building that was built or refurbished before the year 2000, you could have been exposed to asbestos, without even knowing it. Asbestos is a hidden killer. So now’s the time to get clued up on the facts, so that you, your workmates, your friends and family are protected.
Asbestos is found in many products including the following
• SPRAYED COATINGS Found as fire protection on structural supports (e.g. columns and beams).
It is a high hazard asbestos product and can generate Very high fibre levels if disturbed.
• PIPE INSULATION Asbestos thermal pipe lagging is a high hazard asbestos product.
• ASBESTOS INSULATING BOARD (also referred to as AIB) ceiling and door panels. AIB is
a high hazard asbestos product and can generate high levels of fibres if the board is cut or
drilled.
• AIB WINDOW PANEL Like other AIB, this is a high hazard asbestos product, and if in good
condition should be left undisturbed
• FLOOR TILES Vinyl (PVC) or thermoplastic tiles contain asbestos
• ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOF SHEETING Asbestos cement sheeting is often found on industrial
building roofs and walls and domestic garage roofing
• TEXTURED DECORATIVE COATING (such as Artex) Textured coatings contain a small amount of asbestos. The asbestos is well bonded and fibres are not easily released. However, it is still an asbestos product, and as such, needs to be worked with safely
Where does asbestos hide? Check out the HSE hidden killer campaign interactive house www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/hiddenkiller/where-is-it-found.htm
They are currently looking for local businesses interested in offering a young person a chance of one weeks work’s experience in 2010. The purpose being to give students a taste of working life in the company of adults in a working environment.
This is an important aspect of school/college life as it gives the young person a chance to experience a working environment before committing to career opportunities. It also raises your company’s profile within the local community.
If you feel this is something you would be interested in please contact Lynda Reynolds Workforce Development Assistant , 0191 4434229 / l.reynolds@connexions-tw.co.uk
Businesses are set to save time and money with the launch of new, simplified documents to help get their health and safety arrangements in place.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed a new electronic template specially for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) which combines, into one document, the requirements of a health and safety policy, risk assessment and written record of health and safety arrangements. .
Example risk assessments for a range of industries have also been developed to show businesses what a ‘good enough’ record may look like.
90 per cent of test users of the example risk assessments said they could get their own done more quickly, saving almost half the time on average.
In addition, almost three-quarters of businesses that took part in the survey said the example risk assessments provided were very good or excellent.
HSE has saved businesses more than £400 million since the development of its simplification plan in 2005. The aim was to ensure that health and safety works better for everyone.
HSE is on track to deliver a 25% reduction in administrative burdens by April 2010, taking the total savings to around £500 million.
The electronic templates, worked examples and a simple, no-nonsense guide – ‘5 steps to risk assessment’ – are available at www.hse.gov.uk/risk.htm
The government is to launch a free occupational health adviceline for small
business later this year.
The initiative is a direct response to Dame Carol Black¹s Review on the
health of Britain¹s working age population, which highlights the
disproportionate impact that ill-health has upon smaller firms.
The economic cost of workers¹ ill health nationally is over £100 billion a
year. While small businesses make up a significant part of the UK economy, the
vast majority of them do not currently access occupational health support.
The adviceline will be piloted in nine locations across Great Britain.
Employers will be able to access expert advice from occupational health
professionals on problems in the workplace such as asthma, back pain and
mental health issues.
Advice on absence reduction strategies and ill health prevention will be
provided to help employers retain staff and assist staff back to the
workplace following a period of sickness absence.
The adviceline pilots will also work collaboratively with business
partnerships in each region to offer further specialised and locally
relevant occupational health services to the small business community.
Further information can be found at
www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/Initiatives/OccupationalHealth
Businesses are being urged to fight back against fraud by taking advantage of changes made in the Companies Act 2006 which came into force this week.
A major change offers directors and company secretaries the chance to remove their personal home addresses from the public record, by supplying Companies House with an alternate “service address” such as the company’s registered office.
Previously, withholding a residential address was only possible via a Confidentiality Order issued by the Courts.
North East companies are about to become best placed to receive funding from banks, according to new guidelines announced today.
Business Link has developed the new template after working closely with banks, who have agreed to a new set of criteria when making a decision on whether to offer financial support.
The guidelines, which will be made available through Business Link, will be complemented by a series of workshops designed to help businesses develop their understanding of finance.
For more information visit www.kybff.co.uk or call 0191 287 5777.