Safety inspections scaled back

Health and safety inspections could become a thing of the past for many businesses under new Government plans.

Thousands of shops, bars, clubs and offices will no longer be subjected to “burdensome” inspections as part of the “radical” overhaul of the system, officials said. The Government says its new legislation will cut red tape and protect businesses from “compensation culture” claims.

Over 3,000 regulations will either be ditched or overhauled as part of the plan, with companies facing health and safety inspections only if they work in a high-risk sector, such as construction, or if they have a poor track record or have experienced a previous incident.

“In these tough times, businesses need to focus all their energies on creating jobs and growth, not being tied up in unnecessary red tape,” said Business Secretary Vince Cable.

The Government intends to implement the binding new rules on the Health & Safety Executive and local councils from April 2013. It is also set to bring in new legislation as of next month which means businesses will only be held liable for civil damages in health and safety cases if they can be shown to have acted negligently.

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