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‘Common sense’ health and safety measures are introduced to charity shops
Employment Minister Chris Grayling has told voluntary organisations and charities that they do not need independent health and safety audits and should not get ‘bogged down’ in red tape.
Charity shops around the country had been worried that they would have to close because they could not afford consultants’ fees to ensure that they comply with health and safety rules.
“I applaud the government’s action,” said Robert Ashton, one of the UK’s leading social entrepreneurs and a Big Society trouble-shooter.
“Charity shops are not overly dangerous places but people managing volunteers can worry and become very anxious about the rules. This is an outbreak of common sense!” said Mr Ashton.
The Employment Minister said: “There is nothing in the legislation to say that charities must hire expensive health and safety consultants to risk assess their charity shops.
“This is another example of the health and safety cowboys taking advantage of small organisations and is putting an unfair strain on the purse strings of organisations at the heart of our communities.”
Mr Ashton is managing director of Ethecol Merchant Services which provides low cost, fundraising chip & pin services for charities and affinity groups.
“The last thing we want charity shops to spend the money our chip & pin terminals help them raise is to waste it on needless health & safety audits,” he said.
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