News that the Government is planning to slash health and safety red tape for small business as early as January has been welcomed by the Forum of Private Business.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling announced this morning that the Government will begin immediately with a wholesale revamp of UK health and safety legislation – binning more than half the rules and regulations currently in force over a three-year period.

He also signalled a ‘sooner rather than later’ approach, with the first rules removed from the statute book within a few months. From 1 January he also announced a new ‘challenge panel’, allowing businesses to get the decisions of health and safety inspectors overturned immediately if they have got it wrong.

The announcement follows today’s publication of the Löfstedt Review into health and safety legislation, commissioned by the Employment Minister in March. It recommends health and safety law should not apply to self-employed people whose work activity poses no potential risk of harm to others. If implemented, the changes would benefit around a million self-employed people.

Health and safety regulations will also be reduced through combining, simplifying and reducing approximately 200 existing regulations. The report also makes recommendations to ensure that employers are not held responsible for damages when they have done all they can to manage risks. 

The Forum’s Senior Policy Adviser, Alex Jackman, said: “We have waited a while for the results of the Löfstedt review, and now they are here we’re not disappointed.”

“Civil action against businesses is a huge issue for our members, and many over-compensate where health and safety is concerned. Not only does this unduly raise the cost of compliance – disproportionately so for the smallest businesses – but it also raises the expectations of employees should personal injury unfortunately befall them.”