The development and uptake of health and safety interventions aimed at small businesses

Abstract

Between 1996 and 1998, a health and safety support project (SAS Project) was developed in a deprived area, within an industrial city, in the North West of England. The aim of the project was to provide an infrastructure of health support for the small-business community. The approach taken was one of 'facilitative action' to enable businesses to learn about health and safety, describe their own personal needs and be involved in intervention development. This approach was very different from the 'expert-led' consultant model of health and safety support. By working with the small-business community over an 18-month period, trusting partnerships were established between the project workers and local businesses. This enabled a series of four relevant health and safety interventions to be identified. The uptake and perceived benefits derived from these interventions are detailed in this paper. The results of this study indicate that some small businesses will take up health and safety support if it is offered in an appropriate way, at an affordable cost and is relevant to the immediate needs of the business concerned.