MANY small businesses, especially those working within the process industries, are exemplars of ensuring regulatory compliance across their activities.

Indeed, sectors such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals are often viewed as a positive example to be emulated by other businesses.

However, regulatory compliance requirements continue to develop all the time and it is important to keep abreast of these.

These include the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007, the Environmental Damage Regulations 2009 and the Bribery Act 2010.

There is a constant stream of developments in many areas that businesses from small to large need to understand including climate change, information processing and health and safety to name a few.

High-quality work and compliance standards in the UK set businesses apart from many global competitors, but failure to follow compliance requirements can lead to criminal investigation, prosecution and even civil claims.

In an increasingly competitive global market it is vital that businesses stay at the forefront of legal compliance, protecting their reputation and their bottom line.

For businesses that develop robust and efficient compliance monitoring systems, the rewards can be significant – less red tape, improved efficiency and a much smaller risk of business disruption caused by a major incident.

Despite the constraints of the recent recession, there has been a significant trend in process industry businesses seeking out compliance advisory support to enhance their own internal capabilities and working closely with advisors on co-ordinating compliance planning and guidance.

Firms should be able to expect sensible, commercial advice that makes a positive difference to their business.

This might be working with clients to complete a compliance check of their activities, supporting new ventures by ensuring robust compliance measures are in place from the start, providing 24/7 emergency assistance or training people on the legal issues they face every day.

:: For more information about compliance planning and guidance, contact Stuart Wardlaw, partner and head of environment and safety at leading law firm Dickinson Dees, on 0191 279 9136.