The leader of a new review of health and safety regulation in the UK has emphasised the importance of the contribution of “expert views” on the subject to inform his final report.
The Department for Work and Pensions today (20 May) issued a call for evidence for the Löfstedt review – announced by the Employment minister, Chris Grayling, in March – inviting all those interested in “reducing the burden of health and safety regulation on UK businesses” to contribute.
Professor Ragnar Löfstedt will look at combining, simplifying or reducing the approximately 200 statutory instruments that are owned by the Health and Safety Executive. It will consider lessons to be learnt from health and safety regimes in other countries, as well as the extent to which regulations in the UK have impacted on positive health and safety outcomes and businesses, led to unreasonable outcomes, or inappropriate litigation and compensation, and unnecessarily ‘gold-plated’ the requirements of EU directives.
Said Chris Grayling: “Getting the regulation of health and safety right is important to everyone. The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act remains an effective framework. However, we need to put common sense back into health and safety and ease the burdens on business, and I look forward to Professor Löfstedt’s findings.”
The professor added: “I hope to hear from as many people with an interest in health and safety regulation as possible. I want the review to be informed by concrete examples and evidence from a range of stakeholders, including employer and employee organisations, government and professional health and safety bodies, practitioners and academics. Getting their expert advice will ensure the findings of the review are robust, and I hope they will take the opportunity to feed in their views.”
The call for evidence is available on the DWP website
