The University of Exeter Business School has unveiled details of a new online portal it says will help ease the burden of health and safety compliance on small businesses.
The Business School, along with local councils and a private sector supplier of online services, RH Environmental Ltd, secured £20,000 in funding from the Better Regulation Delivery Office.
Funds will be piped into the design of the Safer Workplace Better Business initiative.
“The burden of regulation on SMEs is already significant so to be able to ease this, even in a small way, can only be a good thing,” Professor Kevin McMeeking from the Business School said in comments reported by Western Morning News.
The online portal aims to empower businesses of all sizes with key information on EU, national and local regulations covering a wide range of statutory regulations.
Professor McMeeking added: “The economic and societal benefits from risk management will include improved identification of key hazards in the workplace, introduction of control measures and greater guidance on policy documentation.”
A prototype is scheduled to be ready for testing before the end of the year.