Health and safety overhaul

The Better Regulation Executive has issued a report that examines how health and safety regulations affect low risk and small businesses. The group sets out recommendations which propose to save up to £150 million in time and money for these firms with improved web-based and telephone support and better advice on when and how to buy in safety consultants.

The average company spends about 20 hours a year - or more than £350 - on administration meeting health and safety requirements. Cutting this time by just five hours per company would produce the £150 million saving, the report suggests. A number of firms are low-risk in terms of their injury and health statistics: finance and business, hotels and restaurants, wholesale, retail and education. These alone contain 2 million enterprises with 12 million staff. Secretary of State for Business John Hutton says that the UK has one of the best workplace safety records in the world, with fatalities and injuries falling by 70% in the last 30 years.