| A new report from the
British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) says
nearly half of employers believe that
health and safety rules are making their
lives more difficult. The survey of
nearly 6,000 employers found that 47 per
cent claimed that regulation around health
and safety issues was a burden on their
business. A fifth of sole traders
identified health and safety regulation as
a barrier to taking on their first
employee.
The report, titled Health and Safety: a
Risky Business? was released on 24 May. It
calls for:
- regulation to be tailored to the
risk level of the workplace
- streamlining and simplifying
legislation to reduce costs and
confusion
- a review of the UK implementation of
EU Directives.
BCC director general David Frost
said:“Employers are dealing with a
multitude of regulations that do not
necessarily add to the safety of workers.
The sheer volume of rules causes confusion
for employers, particularly amongst
smaller firms without the resource to
tackle this.
“Good health and safety legislation is
crucial in high-risk environments. But
time and time again, we hear of
unnecessary and unreasonable examples of
health and safety. For example, home
workers are treated in the same way as
those working onsite, with the employer
forced to conduct ever-more elaborate and
costly assessments of the employee’s home
environment.”
Employment Minister Chris Grayling
announced in March that risk management
specialist Professor Ragnar E Löfstedt
would chair a review of all health and
safety regulation, with a view to
simplifying the rules and easing
unnecessary burdens on business.
The findings of the review are due to
be published this autumn.
LINK:
BCC press release
LINK:
Health and safety reform |
