A safe, inviting environment is crucial to Waterstones. Our adherence to Health and Safety guidelines ensures that our staff and customers can enjoy both working and shopping in our stores in a safe environment, and we have a very low rate of accidents or reportable incidents.

Waterstones undertakes an annual audit of all Health and Safety issues and considerations. We achieved a compliance rating of 86.8% in May 2009, a score that puts us in the top 10 for High Street compliance in the U.K. Our target for May 2010 is 90%.

To ensure best practice is developed, understood and adhered to, Waterstones has put into place Health and Safety champions in each region. These champions ensure their own region reaches and exceeds its own Health and Safety targets, as well as helping to form the chain's future Health and Safety strategy and targeted initiatives - such as our recent focus on electrical safety, step ladders, safety during author events and prevention of trips, slips and falls.

We are pleased to report that despite better reporting arrangements, the number of recorded accidents in Waterstones fell from 191 in 2006/2007 to only 129 in 2007/2008. We hope to report a further drop for 2010.

We have undertaken a concentrated programme of training for all Support Centre staff, and also all Branch Managers are now trained according to Health and Safety training policy.

Disability Discrimination Act

All Waterstones stores have undergone a Branch Access Audit, with arrangements checked in the Health and Safety audit. Disability access details for all branches can now be checked on the www.directenquiries.com website.

For the benefit of our hearing impaired customers, hearing loops are available in every branch of Waterstones.