Firms find H&S 'yellow tape' a
burden
Health & Safety Update - 27/05/2011
According to a new survey, almost half of businesses across the
UK class Health and Safety (H&S) 'yellow tape' as
burdensome.
The 'Health and Safety: a risky business' study from the British
Chambers of Commerce (BCC) revealed that the volume and ambiguity
surrounding H&S proved irksome for businesses.
Small and medium-sized enterprises are often the most affected
by the sheer level of H&S regulations, with the current cost of
the regulations across the UK standing at £4.138 billion.
The BCC surveyed 6,000 employers are found that 47 per cent felt
H&S regulations were affecting their business. A fifth of sole
traders reported that they were unable to take on their first
employee due to the regulations, and, despite, Lord Young’s 2010
report, little has been done to make changes to the
regulations.
The BCC recommended that regulation should be tailored to the
size and risk level of each business rather than treating them all
the same. The body also suggested that H&S legislation was
'streamlined and simplified.'
Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, David
Frost, said, “Health and safety regulation in the workplace is
important, but it must be made more industry-specific.
“The government’s Red Tape Challenge lists 131 separate health
and safety regulations. The sheer volume of rules causes confusion
for employers, particularly amongst smaller firms without the
resource to tackle this.
"Where regulation is irrelevant or misapplied, we are asking the
government to consolidate and simplify,” he added.