Business News

June 2011

Health and Safety rules blocking new jobs, says report

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 regulations around health and safety issues were a burden on their businesses. 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 regulations, 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