Minister Bruton: Balance between worker protection and business growth vital to sustainedlongterm commercial success
Monday 29th April 2013
As part of Ireland’s Presidency programme, the Health and Safety Authority is today (Monday 29th April) hosting a conference under the theme “Small business and workplace safety and health: the challenge; the opportunity”.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said, “The contribution of small and micro businesses to economic recovery is of vital importance. Everyone agrees that the safety and health of workers is essential if small businesses are to succeed in their commercial goals. As Minister for Jobs and Chair of the EU's Competitiveness Council, I am committed to removing unnecessary burdens from businesses of all sizes, making it easier for them to grow and create employment. Managing the twin objectives of company growth and worker protection will continue to be fundamental to long term commercial success”.
Speakers at today’s conference include László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and Dr Christa Sedlatschek, Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, as well as a broad spectrum of decision makers and stakeholders from all member states of the EU. The main goal of the conference is to explore ways in which small and micro businesses, which make up the vast majority of businesses across Europe, can ensure their workers are not put at risk from preventable workplace accidents and ill-health and achieving this in a way that does not place any unnecessary administrative or financial burden on the businesses themselves.
Welcoming the delegates to Dublin, Michael Horgan, Chairman of the Health and Safety Authority said, “At the Health and Safety Authority we are very conscious of the need to avoid any unnecessary burden on small businesses. Our “Taking Care of Business” unit was established for exactly that reason and we will continue to work in a way that helps small business owners minimise the chances of a workplace accident in a cost effective way. Apart from the obvious personal cost, poor management of worker safety and health can lead directly to additional financial costs in the form of, for example, higher insurance premiums and compensation payments. It is in everyone’s interest to manage worker protection appropriately”.
The conference includes the awarding of European Good Practice Awards to a range of organisations from across Europe. The West Offaly Dairy Discussion Group was one of just ten organisations to receive an award from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work while the Construction Safety Partnership was one of ten to receive a commendation.
