WIREDGOV

"For too long businesses have been confused by health and safety regulations which cost them money and take up time when they should be focusing on growth.

"Health and safety is important, but its focus should be where risks are high. These reports show just how much progress we have made in restoring clarity to the system, and over the coming months I'll be making sure common sense prevails."

• Half of all health and safety legislation will have been reviewed, scrapped or simplified by next year.
• One change - to the regulations on reporting accidents at work - will save businesses £5m over 10 years.
• Another - simplifying the guidelines around how often businesses need to get electrical safety such as kettles and computers tested - is estimated to save businesses £30m.
• By April 2013, one in 10 sets of health and safety regulations will have been scrapped.
• 200 sets of outdated guidelines have been scrapped - one fifth of all health and safety publications.
• Proactive health and safety inspections by HSE have been cut from 33,000 in 2010/11 to less than 22,000 to 2011/12, with inspections focused on where risks are high.
• In its first four months, over 75,000 users have accessed a new Health and Safety "Toolbox". The toolbox makes it easier for businesses to understand their health and safety responsibilities, saving them considerable time every year that might otherwise be wasted on pointless paperwork. 1.2 million business are using HSE website every month to access clear advice about health and safety.
• The public can now challenge official decisions which are taken on the grounds of "health and safety" through the HSE's Myth Busters Challenge Panel. These include Cafes and Restaurants refusing to heat up baby food, and Golf Buggies being banned on a Golf Course!
• Streamlining risk assessment procedures
• Tackling the myths about red tape and other barriers to schools taking pupils on valuable visits and trips by publishing clear new guidelines encouraging schools and local authorities to remove wasteful bureaucracy.

"The FSB welcomes the progress made so far on reforming health and safety and the work being done to cut unnecessary red tape, which will save small businesses time and money.

"It is important that employers can focus on managing real risk, not unnecessary paperwork, and these changes are helping to achieve that."

"I am pleased that the government is on track with the implementation of the recommendations of my report and is supporting a more risk- and evidence-based approach to health and safety".

• We are rewriting and simplifying all existing health and safety guidance and cutting the total number of regulations in half.
• Accident reporting rules changed so companies only need to notify HSE of incidents that keep employees off work for seven days or more – up from three days previously – saving businesses 10,000 hours a year.
• Guidance for police and for fire fighters issued making it clear that individuals who put themselves at risk as a result of a heroic act will not face prosecution under health and safety law.
• Over 70 pages of health and safety guidance for schools replaced by eight pages to clear up rules on school trips.
• Register of qualified health and safety consultants established to stamp out unqualified advisers who give wrong advice to companies.
• Number of HSE proactive inspections to relatively low risk sites being reduced by a third.
• Guidance published clarifying that members of the public wouldn’t face prosecution for snow clearance. Further guidance will be issued if necessary in response to other situations.
• Simplified health and safety advice for voluntary organisations and a checklist for village/ community halls published.
• New guidance on the application of health and safety legislation to homeworkers
• 2012 Budget announced the Government commitment to scrap, consolidate or improve 84 per cent of existing health and safety regulations by end 2014, reducing the burdens on business.
• The Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel launched to look at complaints from businesses about incorrect or disproportionate advice issued by HSE or local authority inspectors.
• The Myth Busters Challenge Panel looks launched in April 2012 to look at complaints regarding advice from non-regulators such as insurance companies, health and safety consultants and employers, and quickly assess if a sensible and proportionate decision has been made.
• New guidance on Portable Appliance Testing published on 30 April 2012, replacing two previous sets of guidance and saving businesses up to £30m a year.
• Obsolete regulations and Orders being wiped off statute book – seven to be revoked in October and 14 more being consulted on.