PM’s red tape report is wrong on health and safety, says IOSH 16 October 2013

The government-commissioned report by business leaders on cutting EU red tape is wrong to label health and safety as a threat to small firms, according to IOSH (the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health).

The document, presented to the weekly Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, highlighted the '30 worst threats to small firms'. It cited 'problematic, poorly-understood and burdensome European rules' as slowing production, job creation, sales and innovation and leaving Europe trailing international trading rivals'.

But Richard Jones, head of policy and public affairs at IOSH, worries that, among its recommendations is exempting small businesses in low-risk sectors from keeping written health and safety assessments – estimated to save businesses across Europe £2.7 billion.

"It's important to remember that health and safety failures in the UK cost society a staggering £13.4 billion per year – double this once you take into account the cost of occupational cancers and property damage," comments Jones.

"In this latest report, we're concerned that, once again, health and safety is misunderstood and wrongly labelled as a hindrance to business – whereas research shows that positive feelings about work are linked with higher productivity, profitability and worker and customer loyalty," he insists.

Jones also makes the point that the report fails to make clear that small firms in the UK, employing fewer than five employees, are already exempted from keeping written risk assessments.

"We would argue that what small firms actually need is more help from government – for example more promotion of all the free tools, welcomed by SMEs, which help make risk assessments easier," he states.

"In terms of economics, we understand that at least one European employer body [UEAPME, the pan-Europe employers' organisation representing crafts, trades and SMEs], while supporting simplification, has opposed general exemption from health and safety laws for small firms, because of fear it would create a two-tier system," he claims.

The taskforce's report, 'Cut EU red tape', sets out how the European Union could promote enterprise and boost growth by 'sweeping away poorly understood and burdensome rules and preventing similarly pointless legislation in the future', according to a Number 10 press release.

Welcoming the report, David Cameron said: "It's vital that business can take full advantage of the EU's single market. But all too often EU rules are a handicap for firms, hampering their efforts to succeed in the global race.

"Business people, particularly owners of small firms, are forced to spend too much time complying with pointless, burdensome and costly regulations and that means less time developing a new product, winning contracts or hiring young recruits.

"I'm determined to change that and to get the EU working for business, not against it."

Brian Tinham

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