Reputable small businesses have always paid inflated insurance premiums to cover less scrupulous firms.

Now the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched a scheme to help separate the good firms from the cowboy operators.

Businesses taking part in the Safety Network Scheme will be able to show, over time, that they have a good health and safety record.

David Perry, who chaired an FSB working party into the issue, said: "We need to make small firms fireproof to the cowboy accusation and an affordable proposal like this is the perfect start."

Tuesday March 30, 2004