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Safety Watchdogs Set To Swoop
Health and Safety Watchdogs are set to swoop with random checks on businesses in Birmingham. Officials from the Health and Safety Executive will start making unannounced inspections from today and will be looking to see if key elements of the Disability Discrimination Act are being complied with.
The DDA came into force last October and is the most far-reaching legislation for the rights of disabled people ever introduced. It covers businesses from major multi-nationals to one-person sole traders and covers issues ranging from paralysis to partial sight, from deafness to dyslexia.
Safety watchdogs will be especially keen to ensure that businesses have processes to enable the safe evacuation of disabled people from offices, hotels, restaurants and factories in the event of an emergency.
Experts warn that thousands of businesses in the Midlands are failing the DDA requirements and leaving themselves open to prosecution and a MINIMUM fine of £5,000. They will also face damaging publicity and are locking out the multi-billion pound spending power of the 8.5 million disabled people in the United Kingdom.
The law requires ALL businesses and organisations to take reasonable steps to treat people with disabilities equally and the onus is on the business to prove that they have not been discriminatory. But help is at hand and experts in the field are coming together for a special seminar to help businesses and organisations to do the right thing and stay on the right side of the law.
"The level of ignorance is frightening. Many businesses people remain unaware of what is required whilst others are adopting the ostrich approach and burying their heads on the sand," said Richard Fallon, Executive Director, of Birmingham Based training consultancy "Out of Hours" who are organising the event.
"The purpose of the seminar is to enable people to know what they have to do and get practical advice about how they can comply in a cost effective way. Simple steps and common sense are often all that is needed to turn the DDA from a major threat into a great opportunity."
Article written by Out of Hours' Editorial Team.
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