Plans to radically reduce the burden of unnecessary health and safety regulations on UK businesses were announced by Employment Minister Chris Grayling on 29 November.

One recommendation is that 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. 

The Minister also said the government will immediately begin 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.

One move that took place on 1 January, 2012 was the creation of a new ‘challenge panel’ allowing businesses accused of breaching health and safety regulations to immediately overturn an inspector’s ruling if he is judged to be wrong.

Health and safety regulations will also be reduced by combining, simplifying and reducing the 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.

Alex Jackson, Senior Policy Adviser for The Forum of Private Business said, “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 befall them.”

Judith Hackitt, Chairman of the Health and Safety Executive has welcomed the findings of the Review. "The report will go a long way to refocusing health and safety in Great Britain on those things that matter - supporting those who want to do the right thing and reducing rates of work-related death, injury and ill health,” she said. "We welcome these reforms because they are good for workers and employers but also for the significant contribution they will make to restoring the rightful reputation of real health and safety."

Another Government regulatory reform initiative, the Red Tape Challenge, will report in the New Year on further possible changes to the stock of health and safety regulations.