FAREHAM MP Mark Hoban will be among those pressing businesses for better health and safety at work.

Around £8.7m is paid out by businesses to meet the costs of people made ill or injured at work and in light of that Mr Hoban, pictured, aims to highlight the benefits to businesses of getting it right at a conference next month.

To coincide with the conference on June 5 in central London, the British Safety Council is launching a literature review of evidence showing that investing in health and safety can generate more profitable and successful businesses.

The conference will be built around a series of presentations, including by Mark Hoban MP.

Speakers, panellists and the audience will have the opportunity to explore what drives good health and safety and examine the extent to which the effective management of health and safety risks is good for the bottom line.

Neal Stone, director of policy and communications at the British Safety Council, says: “Much has been written and spoken over recent years about the burden that health and safety imposes on organisations.

“While there are those who see health and safety as an impediment to business success, others, including the British Safety Council and its member organisations, subscribe to the view that when proportionately and sensibly managed, health and safety can and does produce tangible economic and social benefits.

“With billions wasted every year on needless injury and ill-health, this literature review now gives us the evidence to persuade others that investing in health and safety makes good business sense.”

Companies are being urged to attend the event, which provides the opportunity to hear from the experts on the business case for health and safety, on what drives good performance, and developments including the Löfstedt health and safety reforms.