If you are a small business, you may have fewer resources to dedicate to the area of small business health and safety. A study by Eurofound showed you are not alone, SME’s across the EU face similar struggles with OHS as they are seen as more vulnerable having ‘fewer resources to put complex systems of protection in place.’ It’s important SME’s are given the correct support as they are the ‘backbone of the EU Economy’, according to the EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027.
If you are in the process of expanding your SME overseas and are hoping to send employees on expat assignment, there are occupational health and safety repercussions to consider. While these will vary significantly by industry, the impact of good OSH is significant across the board. It is known to minimise healthcare costs and other societal burdens. On the other hand, poor OSH results in increased costs for individuals, businesses, and society. There are some steps you can take to keep you on the right side of OHS regulations for small and medium size businesses: