The Government has launched a consultation today (23 January) that represents the first step in its bid to reduce health and safety legislation by half over the next two years.
The consultation document (CD238) proposes the revocation of seven statutory instruments, which have been identified as being redundant, or that have been overtaken by up-to-date legislation. They are:
The consultation is part of the HSE’s work to deliver the recommendation by Prof Ragnar Löfstedt in his recent review that sector-specific regulations be consolidated by April 2015.
However, the Government wants to go further than this, with Employment minister Chris Grayling telling the House of Commons today that its aim is to “reduce health and safety legislation by 50 per cent by 2014”.
The minister told the House: “Britain has the best record in Europe for preventing deaths and serious injuries in the workplace, but it also has the worst record for unnecessary red tape. This Government hopes that a simpler regulatory structure will contribute to a change in the bizarre decision-making that has been going on in the name of health and safety.”
However, when challenged by parliamentary colleagues to acknowledge that Prof Löfstedt’s recommendation was to consolidate regulation rather than remove it, and that reducing regulation could actually increase the cost of health and safety to society, the minister said the Government’s efforts are “all about not undermining what health and safety is really about and instead creating an easily understood system”.
He continued: “Prof Löfstedt identified which rules are complicated and we need to get back to a simple regime in order to protect people in the workplace.”
In response to Labour MP Kate Clark’s query as to why the Government is “peddling the myth” that the Löfstedt review deemed health and safety regulation to be excessive, Mr Grayling said it is not the Government that is at fault in this respect but “local authorities and middle managers”, who give out disproportionate advice.
To access the consultation document on the revocation of the seven instruments, visit www.hse.gov.uk/consult/live.htm The consultation ends on 12 March 2012.
And now we have a clearer picture of what this government is hoping to acheive by tottally ignoring the reports aims and following its own path in cohoots with the employers by denying employees basic health and safety rights and a return to victorian mill owners attitudes, now lets see not only MPs but unions fight this, and lay the blame for bad safety measures firmly at employers door and if negligent punished as is only right and just
I thought this was about simplifying H&S regulation, not about cleaning up the old regulations that are never referred to anyway.
I suppose it’s an easy hit and that bunch of dullards in charge will say they have overwhelming support for their actions…. It shouldn’t take two reviews to identify that an amendment to a revoked bill should be revoked at the same time as the bill, should it ?
Presumably the real challenge of taking absolute duties out of civil courts is still to come.
Most lower /middle management would’nt know H&S if it jumped up and hit them on the face. They tend to be more interested in getting the job done rather than looking at the implications of their actions. H&S myths are perpetuated by people who know nothing about the subject. In the workplace H&S should be of paramount importance not a nuisance.
Can’t even start…..
I am appalled that Chris Grayling blames middle managers for peddling myths about the ‘burden’ of health and safety on employers
I am heartened to see that there are some MPs on the Labour benches who are prepared to stand & fight this attack on the safety of all workers.Katy Clark,as my constituency MP , witnessed the treatment of my family following my son’s death at the hands of a seriously neglignet employer. She helped in our fight for justice and saw justice fail us We will Fight on
As a former LA H&S inspector and current LA Advisor, I would point the finger firmly at this Government for giving out misguided and inappropriate information. The Government is absolutely at fault persisting in sending out a ‘health and safety doesn’t matter’ message to the small/medium enterprise sector – particularly vulnerable to myth peddling and most in need of reliable safety advice. This is poisoning a primary source of free, accurate advice – the LA and leaves businesses vulnerable.
It is now quite obvious that this Government have completely misunderstood the meaning of Health and Safety Culture. The revocation of the regulations quoted here will not reduce the so called burden to any organisation, and will most definately not raise the chances of increasing jobs or profitability, What a Shower!
What a big deal I am sure if they look carefully there is a lot more redundant stuff
I am disgusted by the comments made that health and safety is excessive. These people clearly have never worked in or witnessed employers not complying with the basic regulations. This is a very troubling time for us as health and safety professionals but also as employees. I have such a strong feeling that this is going to be the end of health and safety in our workplaces as employers will just not do anything to be compliant.
The one thing they can’t take away is the duty of care. An employer will still have to ensure the H&S of their staff and others regarless of what this gov’t says.
How an employer achives that is up to them which is what most current legislation basically says anyway.
Well said Mike. Far too many are jumping to the wrong conclusions. UK safety management is and always was risk based. None of the proposed changes have threatened that so far.
Simplification does not have to mean less safe.
Those of us working in industry should be aware that safe does not have to mean slower/more expensive/more time consuming. If the safe way is also made the easy way, then it will also be the most used way.
But at the end of this clearout of little known and rarely used legislation, the government will then inform Jo Public, “look at the wonderful job we’ve done for you in clearing away the burden of health and safety red tape”. And no-one will be any the wiser; except that is, those of us who are aware of what it’s all about………politics!!
Well, knock me down with a feather! This is really going to take a huge burden off small businesses and regenerate the economy at one and the same time. Or is it?
A little knowledge is very dangerous and this is why middle managers etc get it so wrong but then the finger is pointed at HSE, it’s time middle managers and the rest including MP’s got clued up or employed the likes of us to put them right. My role is to investigate accidents and time after time I’m finding employers from small businesses to larger corporations getting it so wrong because they failed to employ appropriately qualified health and safety staff.
Am I the only person seeing this? By increasing RIDDOR reporting to seven days it’s a simple method for the government to claim that their changes have reduced accident rates and improved ‘health and safety’? The same was done many years ago in unemployment figures by saying that 16 – 18 year olds are not included in the unemployment figures. Or am I just being cynical?
This government always boasts about “learning from mistakes” I recall the hundreds of deaths and maiming accidents from the 1930s’, are these mistake to be buried and forgotten, and a return to the old systems? men and women used to die before or just after retirement, therefore pensions funds were in buoyant positions. Possibly this is the governments answer to the pensions funds, one way of getting them in the black again. Just like the old days, Not Health and Safety, but SELF and HASTY. Up t