With Retra now part of Bira, we look at the support available to members, including advice on health and safety legislation and compliance requirements, and campaigning on important issues.
As the voice of independent electrical retailers, Retra is now part of the Bira Group – a robust organisation supporting independent shops, hospitality and service retail businesses throughout the UK.
A core focus is providing essential advice and guidance to help members navigate the complexities of health and safety legislation and compliance requirements. Poor practices in this critical area can prove extremely costly and damaging for businesses.
Breaching health and safety law can result in hefty fees from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the time spent identifying issues and assisting firms to get things back on track – currently £163 per hour under the Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme. However, the financial implications extend far beyond just these charges.
There are risks of soaring absence costs due to workplace injuries, operational disruptions leading to lost productivity, a hit to revenues from reputational damage deterring customers, and likely increases in insurance premiums as a result.
Most seriously, major offences can lead to prosecution and eye-watering fines – averaging £145,000 last year. For small independent traders, such financial penalties could prove business-ending.
Thankfully, Bira (and therefore Retra) members gain access to free professional health and safety support from WorkNest, the specialist consultancy, to avoid these costly pitfalls and stay compliant.
This extensive service can be utilised for a wide range of needs and queries, acting as an invaluable sounding board for diligent independent retailers.
On a fundamental level, the WorkNest team provide expertise in conducting comprehensive risk assessments to identify hazards and determine the “reasonably practicable” controls required to mitigate risks across the specific environment and operations.
Interpreting and understanding obligations under the raft of UK health and safety regulations is also decoded through sensible advice.
More general queries can also be resolved through the service, alongside more extensive project-based assistance strengthening safety management systems, policies and documented procedures. There is also support responding to any accidents, incidents or regulatory visits to ensure proper reporting and follow-up actions.
Jeff Moody, commercial director for the Bira Group said: “WorkNest specialises in identifying pragmatic, proportionate solutions that don’t unnecessarily disrupt or compromise day-to-day operations.
“Having this level of professional health and safety support on-tap as a membership benefit is invaluable for ensuring full compliance while maintaining a safe working environment for staff and customers.”
However, the Bira Group’s mission extends far beyond just this consultancy service for members. The organisation is a committed campaigner and champion for the UK’s independent retail sector as a whole, across multiple fronts. Dedicated advocacy takes the collective voice to Parliament and key stakeholders to drive positive changes benefiting its 28,000 independent business members.
Current priorities include lobbying for more vigorous action to combat the rising tide of retail crime and violence impacting independents, pushing for legislative reforms to promote fairness and flexibility, reforming unbalanced business rates, and reducing excessive regulatory burdens that senselessly stifle independent traders’ ability to thrive.
Bira Group representatives are consistently engaged with government departments, regulatory bodies and industry forums to forcefully represent members’ interests.
Recommendations put forward emphasised the need for appropriate co-design and collaboration between Government, industry and retailers. It urged Defra to explore more cost-effective distributor return routes where incentivised, as potentially cheaper than kerbside collection schemes for producers.
There were also calls for comprehensive consumer research to understand preferences that can inform the optimum WEEE recycling methods for the UK.
Jeff said: “We cannot allow the Government to place yet more heavy cost burdens on independent electrical retailers through WEEE reforms that primarily benefit major producers while firms apply immense lobbying pressures.
“Retra and Bira Group’s role is ensuring the voice and interests of our indie members are forcefully represented, campaigning for equitable splits in cost responsibilities.”
Through its multi-faceted support offering – combining indispensable consultancy services with forceful advocacy lobbying – Retra and the wider Bira Group ecosystem empowers the independent electrical retail community to operate securely, safely, compliantly and sustainably in the face of challenges and an increasingly competitive market landscape.
As the voice of independent electrical retailers, Retra is now part of the Bira Group – a robust organisation supporting independent shops, hospitality and service retail businesses throughout the UK.
A core focus is providing essential advice and guidance to help members navigate the complexities of health and safety legislation and compliance requirements. Poor practices in this critical area can prove extremely costly and damaging for businesses.
Breaching health and safety law can result in hefty fees from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the time spent identifying issues and assisting firms to get things back on track – currently £163 per hour under the Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme. However, the financial implications extend far beyond just these charges.
There are risks of soaring absence costs due to workplace injuries, operational disruptions leading to lost productivity, a hit to revenues from reputational damage deterring customers, and likely increases in insurance premiums as a result.
Seriously
Most seriously, major offences can lead to prosecution and eye-watering fines – averaging £145,000 last year. For small independent traders, such financial penalties could prove business-ending. Thankfully, Bira (and therefore Retra) members gain access to free professional health and safety support from WorkNest, the specialist consultancy, to avoid these costly pitfalls and stay compliant.
This extensive service can be utilised for a wide range of needs and queries, acting as an invaluable sounding board for diligent independent retailers.
On a fundamental level, the WorkNest team provide expertise in conducting comprehensive risk assessments to identify hazards and determine the “reasonably practicable” controls required to mitigate risks across the specific environment and operations.
Interpreting and understanding obligations under the raft of UK health and safety regulations is also decoded through sensible advice.
Challenges
Crucially, the consultancy extends to addressing new and emerging challenges facing modern retailers. This includes developing appropriate hybrid working safety arrangements for staff split between home and premises, implementing ongoing management protocols, and mitigating the potential safety impacts caused by staffing shortages or stretched resources.More general queries can also be resolved through the service, alongside more extensive project-based assistance strengthening safety management systems, policies and documented procedures. There is also support responding to any accidents, incidents or regulatory visits to ensure proper reporting and follow-up actions.
Jeff Moody, commercial director for the Bira Group said: “WorkNest specialises in identifying pragmatic, proportionate solutions that don’t unnecessarily disrupt or compromise day-to-day operations.
“Having this level of professional health and safety support on-tap as a membership benefit is invaluable for ensuring full compliance while maintaining a safe working environment for staff and customers.”
Committed
However, the Bira Group’s mission extends far beyond just this consultancy service for members. The organisation is a committed campaigner and champion for the UK’s independent retail sector as a whole, across multiple fronts. Dedicated advocacy takes the collective voice to Parliament and key stakeholders to drive positive changes benefiting its 28,000 independent business members. Current priorities include lobbying for more vigorous action to combat the rising tide of retail crime and violence impacting independents, pushing for legislative reforms to promote fairness and flexibility, reforming unbalanced business rates, and reducing excessive regulatory burdens that senselessly stifle independent traders’ ability to thrive.
Bira Group representatives are consistently engaged with government departments, regulatory bodies and industry forums to forcefully represent members’ interests.
WEEE
A recent example saw Jeff attend talks with Defra’s Graeme Vickery to discuss issues around reforms impacting the recycling systems for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).Recommendations put forward emphasised the need for appropriate co-design and collaboration between Government, industry and retailers. It urged Defra to explore more cost-effective distributor return routes where incentivised, as potentially cheaper than kerbside collection schemes for producers.
There were also calls for comprehensive consumer research to understand preferences that can inform the optimum WEEE recycling methods for the UK.
Jeff said: “We cannot allow the Government to place yet more heavy cost burdens on independent electrical retailers through WEEE reforms that primarily benefit major producers while firms apply immense lobbying pressures.
“Retra and Bira Group’s role is ensuring the voice and interests of our indie members are forcefully represented, campaigning for equitable splits in cost responsibilities.”
Through its multi-faceted support offering – combining indispensable consultancy services with forceful advocacy lobbying – Retra and the wider Bira Group ecosystem empowers the independent electrical retail community to operate securely, safely, compliantly and sustainably in the face of challenges and an increasingly competitive market landscape.
