Changes on the way
Dec 7, 2011
There are likely to be some changes to health & safety legislation in 2012 affecting all businesses and self- employed people. The government announced it has accepted all of the recommendations in the Lofstedt Review report published at the end of November. The review, “Reclaiming health & safety for all: An independent review of health & safety legislation” took six months to carry out and was focussed on legislation that put undue costs on businesses whilst doing little to improve health & safety.
The government iscommitted to cutting health & safety red tape in early 2012. There is a target to reduce the current 200 different regulations and supporting Approved Codes of Practice by at least a third over the next three years, by combining, simplifying and abolishing.
The 100 page report includes some interesting recommendations:-
- Employers should not be held responsible for damages when they have done all they can to manage risk. The emphasis should be on employees taking personal responsibility.
- Health & safety legislation should not apply to self- employed people who pose no risk to other people from their work
- There should be better guidance on what is “reasonably practicable” and on specific issues such as explaining the situation that annual portable appliance testing is not a mandatory requirement.
The report’s author, Professor Lofstedt does not want to see a radical alteration to health & safety legislation but thinks better interpretation of the regulations and proportionate risk management make good business sense.
The consultation process will begin in January next year and several reviews need to be completed by the summer. The hope for 2012 is that the review will lead to less red tape and bureaucracy for business without increasing the risk of accidents and illnesses in the workplace.
