Invest NI No Nonsense Guide 11 (PDF) - Invest Northern Ireland

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Premises andhealth and safetyCheck for changes in the lawRegulations, figures and sumsof money may have changedsince publicationExecutive for Northern Ireland.Next steps● Visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/health_and_safety● For more information contactHealth and Safety WorksNI: 0300 020 0030; www.healthandsafetyworksni.gov.ukComputers andemployeesYou have to make sure you andyour employees use computerssafely. As well as checking thatmonitors and keyboards allowusers to work comfortably,you should give users regularbreaks and carry out riskassessmentsVisual display units (VDUs)or monitors must show clearcharacters with adequatespacing and the screen imagemust be stable with no flickering.Users should be able to adjustthe brightness and contrasteasily. The screen must tilt andswivel and be free of reflectedglare.The keyboard must be tiltable,and separate from the screen(unlike most laptops), allowinga comfortable working positionand avoiding fatigue in the armsor hands.The work chair must be stable,with height adjustment, and theseat back must be adjustable inboth height and tilt.Workstation and workplacelayout should be planned toprevent possible disturbing glareor reflections on the screen fromsources of light such as windows.Workstations should give theuser sufficient space to changeposition and vary movements.Training must be given tousers on health and safety andhow to use software.Employers must plan theactivities of users so that theirdaily work on display screensis periodically interrupted bybreaks or changes of activity. Itis recommended that users takeintervals away from screens atleast every two hours.Employees using computersare entitled to eyesight tests paidfor by you at regular intervals orwhen they are requested.You must carry out regularrisk assessments on computerworkstations and the peoplewho use them to ensure theyare safe. You need to assess theentire workstation (includingequipment, furniture and its workenvironment), the work beingdone on the computer and anyspecific needs of the staff usingthe workstation. Pay particularattention to users’ posture. Youmust take steps to reduce anypotential health risks you find.Next steps● You must carry outworkstation health checksand take any steps necessaryto minimise any risk toemployees’ health when usingcomputers● For more information read:Working With VDUs (INDG36).Contact 0800 0320 121;www.hseni.gov.ukReporting incidentsThe Reporting of Injuries,Diseases and DangerousOccurrences Regulations(RIDDOR) require you to reportand keep records of accidentsand other workplace incidentsIf there is a serious injury, death,work-related disease or otherdangerous incident in yourworkplace, you must report it tothe Health and Safety Executivefor Northern Ireland or your localauthority.Reportable injuries includemajor injuries such as brokenbones or loss of consciousness,as well as less severe injuriesthat result in someone beingaway from work or unable tocarry out their normal duties formore than seven days.You must also keep recordsof any reportable occurrence forthree years.Next steps● Visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/health_and_safety● You must keep an accident book● Further information isavailable from the Health andSafety Executive for NorthernIreland: 0800 0320 121;www.hseni.gov.uk39The No-Nonsense Guide
All businesses own assets called intellectual property, which can include the name of the businessor copyright, designs, patents and trade marks. Intellectual property can be worth money. Sometypes have automatic legal protection. Others can be protected by registration. You must also beaware of and respect other businesses’ intellectual propertyProtecting yourintellectual property40Business namesand domain namesThe name of your businessis generally protected bythe common law principle ofpassing offPassing off can occur if yourbusiness name has, throughuse, established a reputation fortrading in a particular field and acompetitor starts using the sameor a similar name for the sameor similar goods and services.You can take court action on thebasis that your rival is falselypassing off their goods orservices as yours.Sometimes duplication ofnames is caused by genuineoversight and may be settled bynegotiation, but you should seeklegal opinion at an early stage.A domain name (your websiteaddress) has to be registered foruse on the internet. Nominet UKis the registry for .uk internetnames and also provides adviceon registering and maintainingyour internet name.If you believe that somebodyelse has registered yourbusiness name, brand nameor registered trade mark asa domain name, and that thisconstitutes an infringement of atrade mark or an act of passingoff, you should seek a qualifiedlegal opinion.Nominet UK cannot offerlegal advice but it may be able,through its Dispute ResolutionService, to help if a disputearises over a domain name. Thismight avoid your having to go tocourt.Next steps● See Choosing the right name,page 8● Visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/nameandtrademark● It is best to get legal adviceat an early stage if you thinksomebody else is using yourbusiness name or trade mark,or something close to it, eithergenerally or as an internetdomain name● Nominet UK can give adviceon domain names and theirregistration. Contact01865 332211; www.nic.uk● Check availability of domainnames with Nominet UK atwww.nic.uk or NetNames atwww.netnames.co.ukProtecting yourtrade marksTrade marks are symbols,signs or even words, soundsor shapes which distinguishthe goods and services of onetrader from those of othersTrade marks help customers andother businesses recognise abusiness and identify it with thequality of product or service forwhich it is known.They are often the singlemost valuable marketing toola business will have, whateverits size, and can be essential indeveloping a brand.Trade marks do not need tobe registered. Provided sufficienttrading reputation and goodwillhave been built up in a mark, adegree of protection is affordedby common law.For a court action based on anunregistered mark to succeed,you have to show that the markembodies a reputation and thatits use by somebody else is liableto confuse or deceive the publicand has done actual damage toyour business.Registration of a trade markgives an immediate right to stopsomeone using the same or asimilar mark on the same orsimilar goods and services. Youdo not have to prove reputationor demonstrate confusion.Owners of trade marks areadvised to register the trademark with the IntellectualProperty Office where thisis possible. A trade mark isregistered for ten years andcan be renewed every tenyears. Once registered it can berenewed indefinitely.Registered trade marks canbe enforced by going to court.You can pursue damages andan injunction to stop furtherinfringement.Next steps● Visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/intellectualproperty● For more information abouttrade marks, contact Invest NI:www.investni.com● The Intellectual PropertyOffice provides furtherguidance on its website andwill answer your questions onThe No-Nonsense Guide
Page 1 and 2: The No-Nonsense Guide 2012 NI editi
Page 3 and 4: ContentsForming a business 4Sole tr
Page 5 and 6: When you are setting up a business,
Page 7 and 8: It worked for meHow I wentaboutform
Page 10 and 11: Forming a businessCheck for changes
Page 12 and 13: Sorting out your taxand National In
Page 26 and 27: What VAT will meanfor youCheck for
Page 28 and 29: What VAT will meanfor youYou also n
Page 31 and 32: All you need to know about the rule
Page 33 and 34: You also need business adviceThis g
Page 35 and 36: It worked for meHow Imade surewe go
Page 37 and 38: You also need business adviceThis g
Page 39: 38implement the health and safetypo
Page 43: It worked for meHow Iprotectedmybus
Page 46 and 47: Protecting yourintellectual propert
Page 48 and 49: Is your business in aspecialised se
Page 50 and 51: Trading regulationsand data protect
Page 60 and 61: Recruiting yourfirst employeeCheck
Page 62 and 63: Recruiting yourfirst employeeYou al
Page 64 and 65: Understandingemployees’ rightsChe
Page 66 and 67: Understandingemployees’ rightssch
Page 70 and 71: Understandingemployees’ rightsor
Page 74 and 75: Understandingemployees’ rightsAar
Page 76 and 77: Understandingemployees’ rightsYou
Page 78 and 79: Understandingemployees’ rights}Re
Page 80 and 81: Understandingemployees’ rightsYou
Page 82 and 83: Resolving problemswith employeesChe
Page 84 and 85: Resolving problemswith employees}If
Page 86 and 87: Resolving problemswith employeesThe
Page 88 and 89: Resolving problemswith employeesYou
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Resolving problemswith employeeswee
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Government advice andsupport for yo
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Useful contactsNow you have reached
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Useful contactsVenture Capital Asso
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