BIG businesses in York are rallying as never before to help the city's small ventures to become safer, injury-free places in which to work.

Practical suggestions and offers to cut down on drastic injury figures have poured in as a result of the City of York Council's Good Neighbour Awards competition launched last month.

It is the council's response to receiving 236 notifications of serious accidents and injuries in smaller workplaces in and around the city in 2001/2002.

Already the likes of Nestl, Norwich Union, the Marriott Hotels Group, the Royal Mail and British Sugar have signed up, suggesting ways of "adopting" smaller firms to help them boost health and safety in the workplace. Some competition entrants have made free offers which small businesses can take advantage of now rather than later. Fulcrum Health & Safety Consultancy, of Clifton Moor, is offering to run free advice visits to small businesses throughout the competition until March 31, next year.

Two of its consultants are offering their services free, one day a week. Their expertise is in the food and drink industry but they will gladly help any small business on issues covering training, risk assessments, method statements, noise surveys, COSSHH assessments or merely a safety visit or audit.

To contact Fulcrum, phone Michael Sharp at 01904 781198 or email him at healthand safety@fulcrumhs.fsnet.co.uk

First Stop Safety in Upper Poppleton is offering free electrical safety posters to the first 50 York area companies applying.

The company will also offer free "anti-ache" back supports for computer users to the first five York area companies asking for them.

First Stop Safety aims to provide information and products, particularly for people who have been "volunteered" to look after safety as well as manage their other job responsibilities.

It has products to help with risk assessments, health and safety management, portable appliance testing, display screen regulations, workstation accessories, first aid, and health and safety in-house training.

Seggy Segaran, managing director, said: "Many companies look on Health and Safety as complicated and costly. We are spreading the message that it need not be."

First-come-first-served phone number to take advantage of the First Stop Safety free offers is 01904 780054 or firms can email info@firststopsafety.co.uk.

York-based Norwich Union has released its employees' handbook to copy to small businesses to help them to communicate with their employees on safety issues.

To obtain a copy, phone the food and safety unit on 01904 551525 or email it on food.safety@york.gov.uk

Updated: 10:14 Tuesday, November 05, 2002