Small businesses have been advised to employ someone to stay on top of any health and safety changes that are implemented by the government.
Michael Slade, managing director at Bibby Consulting and Support, which helps firms deal with the complexity of health and safety, suggested that businesses with around 50 employees or more probably can afford to hire someone dedicated to this issue.
He said: "The government changes health and safety legislation maybe twice a year, so they at least try to calendar it so you know something is coming up.
"But the fact of the matter is that things change and because things change, somebody's got to read them - even if the change in practice isn't going to affect you."
Mr Slade added that some smaller firms may not have the time or money to read through health and safety legislation but they should all hire someone who is clued up on it and devotes at least a quarter of their time to the issue.
On February 15th, Bibby Consulting & Support revealed that a large number of businesses do not know the consequences of not complying with health and safety law.
Once a small business has appointed someone to take care of their health and safety, a policy must be written detailing who is in charge of what, such as training, and where the first aid box and fire escapes are situated.
They should also think about what could harm their employees while they are working and how these risks can be lessened, such as providing hard hats and safety equipment.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, the majority of businesses need to obtain employer's liability insurance to meet the cost of any compensation that has to be paid as a result of a staff accident.
