Table A: What we’ve achieved - initiatives completed since 2006 plan

Publication and wide promotion of a set of principles of sensible risk management particularly with Local Authorities.

To emphasise what does not need to be done as well as what does.

Outcomes: A culture change whereby dutyholders will feel risk assessment and management is proportionate and manageable.

Benefits to: Local authority employers and employees of simpler, more proportionate risk management; and small low- and medium-risk businesses of simpler, shorter risk assessments and a more consistent approach.

Apr 07: ‘Risk and redress:  the way forward for local government’ – event organised with the Department of Constitutional Affairs and Local Government employers for stakeholders on risk and redress. Involved identifying key actions for developing sensible risk management in local authorities.

Apr 07: ‘Myth of the month’ launched on HSE web site. Promoted via stakeholders and the media. Will run throughout 2007 using cartoons and humour to tackle some common myths that can lead to confusion and over-compliance.  One of first myths tackled was 'risk assessments are long and complex'. 

May 07: Guardian newspaper included a supplement on risk management.

July 07: LGA and HSE launched ‘Sign up to sensible risk’ campaign at LGA national conference. A number of Local Authority Chief Executives publicly signed up to the principles of sensible risk management.

Sector-specific examples to help businesses understand that relatively little needs to be recorded in low risk areas.

Provides businesses with an example of what a ‘good enough’ record of a risk assessment looks like.

Outcome: businesses, especially SMEs feel risk assessment and management is proportionate and manageable. Compliance increases but time taken to comply reduces.

Benefits to: Small and medium lower risk businesses of simpler, shorter risk assessments and a more consistent approach.

Analysis yet to be completed.

Estimate roughly 20% of retail and property/business services sectors covered by these three. This equates to nearly 10% of businesses.

July 07: Three additional example risk assessments published for - a convenience store/newsagent, an estate agency, an office cleaning contractor,

Oct 07: Six more example RAs published for - a hairdressers, a betting shop, an off licence, cold/chill storage facilities, a dry cleaners and professional/business services.

Removal of all forms that are no longer necessary, approximately 54% of HSE forms

Although most of these forms were rarely used and so not costly to business, their removal provides clarity and reduces the risk of error.

(A3) Construction regulations

The measure produces one key set of consolidated regulations restructuring, simplifying and clarifying the Regulations, including simplifying the project notification threshold, requirements for formal appointments and plans, and the process for checking dutyholder competence.

To change attitudes and raise health and safety standards in the construction industry. The changes streamline regulatory requirements, eliminate unnecessary ones and simplify paperwork.

Better planning, managing and monitoring of construction projects by clients, designers and contractors should lead to a reduction in costs.

Consolidating the regulations also makes it easier for dutyholders to understand what they are required to do.

Benefit in significantly reduced bureaucracy to construction sector, particularly SMEs.

Annual cost savings (from simplified competence checking) are calculated in the RIA to be between £106 million and £226 million.

Savings on the ABME estimated total are £3,621,000 per year

17 October 06: proposal to Minister

Feb 07: Regulations made and laid in Parliament. ACoP Guidance issued

April 07: Regulations in force.

2008: research will be commissioned into dutyholder awareness of their responsibilities under CDM 2007

(A4) Asbestos regulations

Consolidating three sets of regulations into one and reducing two Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) in to one consolidated text.

Taking asbestos-containing textured decorative coatings out of the scope of the licensing regime.

Consolidates regulations and reduces the volume of guidance relating to asbestos.

Following research into the levels of fibre release from such work, the amendments to the regulations also remove the requirement for companies working with textured decorative coatings - common in domestic premises - to have an asbestos licence, and to notify HSE/ their LA.

Outcome: It is now easier for dutyholders to find what requirements apply to them and so make compliance easier. Removing the licensing requirement from work with textured decorative coatings is significantly reducing the cost of doing this work for the contractor and, therefore, for the building-owning clients.

Particular benefits will be accrued by Local Authorities and Housing Associations, which own large stocks of domestic premises.

(A5) RIDDOR
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

Following the RIDDOR Review HSE launched an initiative to improve the reporting process and the ease of use for business

A project to explore and implement improvements which streamline the way we communicate the RIDDOR reporting process to raise awareness, and influence attitudes to reporting, with the message that compliance need not be complex and burdensome.

We are promoting the ease of reporting through the customer-friendly Incident Contact Centre (ICC) telephone/web reporting service.

Outcome: Businesses simply understanding the 'ring and report' message to comply with RIDDOR thus achieving substantial simplification from the point of view of the dutyholder.

The ABME estimated the recording and reporting requirements to take over 2.5hrs and cost £21 million.

Reporting via the call centre takes an average of 30 minutes.  Thus, the estimated annual cost to business will be £4.4 million, a reduction of £16.5million

Mar 07: New user-friendly HSE RIDDOR website launched, consolidating RIDDOR information in a single port of call

July 07: RIDDOR Explained leaflet and ICC Leaflet withdrawn from print and replaced with a single page flyer with the 'ring and report' message. This is being widely distributed with all HSE Books despatches as standard.

Initial evaluation of first 6 months operation of RIDDOR Website and first few months of new RIDDOR leaflet will take place in late 2007.

(A6) ‘Core criteria’ for electrical contractors

Proposed by Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) to address the problem of a proliferation of contractor health and safety pre-qualification schemes that currently work to different standards.

With HSE support, ECA and Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA) launched health and safety core-criteria to their members.

Health and safety core-criteria, developed for inclusion in the proposed new Construction (Design and Management) Approved Code of Practice, create a common standard and aid recognition between various pre-qualification schemes.

This will reduce the variation in standards required of contractors and so help them comply with legislation, and improve the cost effectiveness of assessing and delivering a good health and safety performance.

The estimated administrative burden saving, from RIA calculations, is £40,000 to £300,000 over first six months after launch.

Further savings will continue to be achieved across the electrical contracting industry following publication of the ACoP.

Sept 06: ECA/HVCA leaflet launched

Feb 07: Publication of CDM ACoP

(A7) Full list of all Health and Safety Regulations published on the internet

Suggested by Federation of Small Businesses to allow businesses to find easily what health and safety regulations are in force.

A full list of HSE-owned regulations has been created on the HSE website, linked where possible to electronic copies of the regulations themselves and relevant guidance.

A quick, simple route to locating health and safety regulations and requirements for businesses.

Benefits to all sectors, especially SMEs.

In its first month the Legislation site received nearly 24,000 hits.

Since then the site has an average of 22,200 hits per month.

(A8) Notification requirements in the Dangerous Substances (Notification & Marking of Sites) Regulations 1990

Proposed by National Farmers Union to review the requirement to notify both HSE and the Fire Service of substances that are toxic, flammable and corrosive

The exploration has revealed that it is not necessary to complete two forms, but simply to e-mail a notification to both bodies. In this situation and as legislative change would be needed in order to remove this requirement, amending the regulations would be disproportionate to any savings.

HSE is writing to NFU to explain the decision and clarify the requirement with them.