How does health and safety affect a business

Hi Jenj, this is probably too late but I have just joined!

Health and Safety can affect businesses significantly as they have to make sure that their employees are protected, as well as their customers (if their customers visit their business place eg. retail shops), particularly in these times of 'no win, no fee'! It can also be expensive for businesses to meet the H&S criteria of their business eg. training; and ensuring safety through certification eg. businesses dealing with food etc.

I second what Mandy says, all businesses are governed by Health and Safety legislation's, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in order to protect the safety of everyone involved in their business, themselves, employees, etc. They are governed by these laws set out and they also need to carry out a "Risk assessment" on the premises to make sure that there is no risk to public safety.