Health and safety reforms set to save small business £300 million, says BRE
August 29th 2008

Small businesses could save up to £300 million a year with better advice and support on health and safety, according to a new report from the Better Regulation Executive (BRE).

Examining how health and safety regulation affects low-risk and small businesses, the report sets out recommendations to save them time and money, while improving working environments and general understanding of health and safety.

The report’s recommendations include:

• Improved web-based and telephone support, offering advice as well as information, for low-risk businesses;

• Better advice to help small businesses know when to buy-in the help of consultants for health and safety advice;

• Maximising the limited resources of Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and local authority inspectors, making inspection and enforcement more efficient, focusing on higher-risk workplaces;

• Developing a new, single assurance scheme so small businesses can have just one inspection to deal with a range of requirements, including health and safety, fire, food safety regulations;

• Improving the perception and understanding of health and safety issues.

The average company is said to spend around 20 hours a year, or more than £350, on administration meeting health and safety requirements, but the report says cutting the time spent by just five hours per company would save businesses £150 million a year.

Commenting on the proposed Health & Safety reforms, John Wright, Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “ We welcome this set of proposals and we are ever more convinced that a web-based and telephone support system for SMEs on Health and Safety issues is the way forward”.

Gordon Eagle, formerly Health & Safety Manager for the Construction Industry Training Board, and now an independent consultant, said:

“The majority of SMEs are well run and actually know more about health and safety issues than they realise. What they’re not so good at is sitting down and capturing that in the form of a written policy, for example. That is mainly due to misunderstanding of what it all means. Making it even more straightforward can only help reduce the concerns businesses have.

“Once companies appreciate that health and safety is not as onerous as they thought, they find it is good for business.”

But construction union UCATT said the report was a step in the wrong direction.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of construction union UCATT, comments: “This report and the message it sends out is dangerous and could have potentially fatal consequences. Companies what ever their size need to understand that health and safety is of paramount importance and not an area where corners can be cut.”

The TUC also said it felt the report had fallen short considering the poor safety of small businesses.

Brendan Barber TUC secretary general: "More than half of small businesses have not even done a basic risk assessment, despite this being a legal requirement.

"Given the rising number of small businesses and the growing incidence of workplace ill-health, this report would have been an ideal opportunity to argue for greater resources for enforcement agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive, to allow them to increase their inspections of small businesses. At present small or medium sized businesses only get a visit from an inspector once every 20 years."

Download the report Improving outcomes from health and safetyhere.

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