Small Business: An Overview

Small business plays a huge role in the Irish economy:

• It accounts for 98.6% of businesses (0-49 employees)
• 92.2% of businesses are micro businesses with 0-9 employees
• Over 677,000 people are employed by small businesses

_{Source:CSO 2015}

Small business owners and managers face many unique challenges, but one challenge they face in common with their larger counterparts is the obligation to provide a safe and healthy place of work. The legal duty and moral responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace applies as much to small business and the self-employed as it does to large employers.

In this section of the website you will find practical information and guidance in relation to managing health and safety in a small business. You will also be introduced to BeSMART.ie, our free online tool that helps small businesses carry out their own risk assessments and produce their own safety statement.

• The Law
• The Basics
• The Benefits
• Risk Assessments Made Easy
• Safety Statements Made Simple