PRESSURE on businesses to meet health and safety guidelines has seen one company dealing with increased demand for its services.

RS Industrial Services, (RSIS), in Billingham, near Stockton, started the year with two new sales executives in place, three new vans added to its fleet and an online engineering supply shop in development to meet demand.

The company, supported since it started up eight years ago by UK Steel Enterprise, the Corus subsidiary that supports new and growing businesses, now has 26 staff.

Mike Riley, of RSIS, said: “As health and safety guidelines become more wide-ranging and tougher, companies are coming under increasing pressure. We have always been willing to diversify and take advantage of every opportunity and I believe that is standing us in good stead now.

“Our engineering supply shop was opened just over a year ago and is doing really well so we are now developing an online shop which will be active very soon.”

The company has had three investments from UK Steel Enterprise, the last one forming part of a £500,000 investment package that enable the company to move to its fouracre site in Haverton Hill Road, last year.