Table B: Progress on continuing initiatives since 2006 plan

Title/policy initiative	Type of Burden	Description of measure	Desired outcome	Estimated cost savings	Milestones/ deadlines
(B1) Sensible Risk Management (SRM) A 4-year internal & external culture-shift initiative on risk assessment and risk management to make it more accessible in the perception of dutyholders, in particular SMEs.				The cost estimated by the ABME is approximately £600 million per year. The target is to reduce this cost by up to a third - £200m Other regulatory requirements to assess risk were estimated at £37.3 million with an expected saving of £8.8m	This initiative is a long-term project expected to last until 2010.
A campaign tackling excessive reactions to risk assessment requirements.	Policy and administrative	Events to promote the principles of sensible risk management and to engage public and private sector so that they understand what is, and is not, needed.	Continuing the culture change to make risk assessment and management proportionate and manageable.	See above	Autumn 07: 5 Local Authority/HSE enforcement partnership conferences will focus on checking practical actions to control risks, not paperwork. Hosted jointly by LACORS and HSE for heads of regulatory services. ‘Myths of the Month’ continue until December 07. ‘Sign up to Sensible Risk’ continues until March 07.
Providing sector specific example risk assessments	Policy and administrative	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: more businesses, especially SMEs understand 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 example risk assessments will apply to roughly 50% of businesses.	See above	By end 07: Additional example risk assessments completed and published will include: a butchers, food preparation, a call centre and contract plasterers. Early 2008: Evaluation of first tranche example RAs completed. Mid 08: Any revisions as a result of evaluation completed and additional example RAs published.
Engaging with stakeholders such as health and safety practitioners on providing balanced advice.	Policy and administrative	Engaging with health and safety professionals (IOSH) to increase awareness of the need to take a balanced approach to risk management and avoid excessive risk aversion.	Small businesses become more informed consumers of advice – know what to expertise expect and what appropriate advice is likely to look like.		Autumn 07: Two items of guidance produced: HSE/IOSH question set for prospective (SME) clients for health and safety assistance. HSE statement to health and safety Advisers on competence/’fit for purpose’
Restoring a sensible approach to risk management in education. This will involve close working with key stakeholders in higher, further and school education, including the DfES.	Policy	Working with key stakeholders, including DfES, IRU and the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG) to establish a strategic forum to provide leadership and direction for the sensible and proportionate management of health and safety risk as an enabler for effective delivery of learning and development within education. It will include ways to reduce; duplication of risk assessments, and the inclusion of trivial risks.	Succinct, straightforward risk assessments that identify the real risks and the practical solutions to control them. Benefits to schools, universities and colleges.	See 1b, above, but this project mainly affects the public sector.	May 07: Article in Governors' Agenda magazine, putting straight misconceptions about health and safety requirements for school trips. By end 07: 1st tranche of Succinct, straightforward risk assessments that identify the real risks and the practical solutions to control them.
(B2) Consideration of Removal of forms from the Factories Act and OSR1 currently required for registering new factories and keeping a register, and new offices, shops or railway premises. An HSE initiative. The West Midlands Health and Safety Liaison Group also proposed removal of the OSR1.	Administrative	These forms are being considered for removal as their use across HSE and the Local Authorities is patchy and inconsistent. HSE will explore whether the data they contain is used and whether it can be obtained through other means.	Benefit to new and expanding businesses as, if it is possible to remove these forms, they will no longer be required to register new businesses or premises with HSE/LAs.	When these forms are removed, the ABME estimates it could save businesses in the region of £20 million per year.	May 07: Initial project plan has been prepared Aug 07: Project scope agreed Oct 07: Consult LACoRS & LAs Apr 08: Draft CD to HSC May - July 08: Consultation April 09: Regulations in force
(B3) Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations A review of the domestic Gas Regulatory regime particularly focusing on introducing competition to delivery of the gas installer registration scheme, reducing burdens and taking a risk based approach to regulation	Policy and administrative	Reform of the domestic gas safety regime, including: i) The introduction of a new gas installer registration scheme. Following a competition to run the scheme, a single provider will be appointed to run the innovative scheme. New functions include responsibility for industry action on public awareness of gas safety, and new incentives to registration, such as simplifying the registration process and tackling unregistered gas installation work. ii) a project to investigate whether a more risk-based approach to the landlords’ gas safety check is feasible.	i) Reduced burdens on gas installers whilst not compromising consumer gas safety	Cost savings to registered gas installers and consequently, reduced costs to gas consumers.	July 07: HSE launched competition for a new gas registration scheme. Early 08: successful bidder will be announced End July 08: new scheme will be operational
	Policy and administrative		ii) Reduced burdens on landlords whilst not compromising consumer gas safety. As an example, if a certain type of appliance required checking only every other year, this would reduce the cost of the gas safety check for all landlords with properties containing that kind of appliance.	Cost savings to landlords and other businesses using registered gas fitters. ABME estimated the cost of the landlords’ gas safety check to be £236 million p.a.	Nov 06: research into relative risk levels of domestic gas appliances reported - findings were inconclusive. Autumn 2007: fact finding with stakeholders March 08: consultation period ends By April 09: Any changes to Regulations in place
(B4) The Business On-line project looking to transfer all HSE’s remaining 55 forms from paper to electronic format.	Administrative	All forms required by HSE will transfer to electronic format to be available to complete and submit electronically in addition to current paper options. The project is also researching which of these forms can be pre-populated with data from previous submissions. HSE are taking forms in order of numbers completed - e.g. F10 is around 200,000, ASB5 40,000 thereby giving the greatest benefits as early as possible.	Much greater accessibility and flexibility for all businesses required to fill in HSE forms, especially SMEs. Significant time and resource savings if submission can be electronic and if forms can be pre-populated.	The total ABME estimated annual cost for all the forms included in this project is £40 million. This project is expected to make a substantial impact on this cost of up to 25%.	May 07: Development phase - testing with internal form. Oct 07: initiate the project to develop the 1st external electronic form. Early 08: 1st form launched, then moving on to the next most used form. There will be a review of one or more of the early forms to assess the savings to business.
(B5) Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations and Provision & Use of Work equipment Regulations (LOLER & PUWER) Addressing concerns over a lack of clarity and possible overlap in the requirements of these two sets of regulations. Staged response allows us to consider the effectiveness of the previous stage in refining the next one.	Policy and administrative	Stage 1: Preliminary investigation into stakeholder views on: having two sets of regulations, complexity, fitness for purpose. Stage 2: Provision of new web guidance on thorough examination of fork lift trucks. Stage 3: New guidance on inspections/examinations of lifting equipment to clarify legal requirements. Stage 4: Review to consider whether the complexities/ ambiguities for dutyholders have been addressed by the guidance or whether further action is necessary.	Guidance will make it clear for dutyholders when and how often examinations or inspections of any equipment are needed. The review will allow HSE to decide whether it is necessary and productive to undertake further action, such as working through Europe to simplify the regulations.	The ABME estimated the total administrative costs for LOLER to be approx £144 million. This includes the cost of doing inspections as well as the records of those inspections. We are determined to make a significant impact on the costs of LOLER and PUWER, and have set this initiative the challenging target of reducing the above cost down to £111 million.	Sept 06: Stage 1 Completed Sept 07: Stage 2 - FLT guidance published Dec 07: Stage 3 guidance published. Jan - Mar 08: Review of position following publication of clarified guidance. If regulatory action through Europe is needed, this would be to a longer timescale.
(B6) Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations Proposed by a Senior Environmental Health Officer to review the requirement for dutyholders to purchase and display an HSE approved poster/distribute the HSE approved leaflet.	Administrative	Looking at whether it is appropriate to amend or remove the requirements to purchase and to display an approved health and safety poster and/or distribute the approved leaflet. And to consider alternative ways of providing information to employees.	This can only be determined by the policy development process, but we would expect it to result in a less costly, more useful method of providing information to employees. This would particularly benefit businesses with multiple premises.	ABME estimated this requirement cost businesses £24 million per year. If the requirements are amended, substantial savings are possible.	Apr 07: Final research report received. Sept 07: HSC discussion on options to consult. Jan-Mar 08: public consultation of options Apr 09: Any changes of regulation come into force
(B7) Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations To reduce the stock of COSHH-related guidance and make it simpler and more accessible. This work aligns with the Sensible Risk Management project (above) and the wider review of HSE guidance (below).	Policy and administrative	Rationalising the stock of guidance. Making guidance on COSHH through the web more accessible and easier to use, focusing on key ‘how to’ information for employers undertaking risk assessments of substances at their workplaces.	Reduction in the confusing plethora of guidance from 130 items to 30. Simpler, quicker access to easy-to-use help will mean more effective, proportionate risk assessment, risk management and staff training. Savings to many business sectors from gaining access to the right information more quickly.	We are determined to make a significant impact on the costs of the risk assessment requirement. ABME estimated the risk assessment element to total £33.5 million. This is subject to the same challenging target as the SRM project - aiming for a reduction of £11.1 million.	Apr 07: Guidance reduced from 130 items to 30 July 07: Revision of COSHH web pages, to include simple key messages Oct 07: E-COSHH website amended to ensure accuracy and consistency Summer 08: re-design E-COSHH website to make it more user-friendly, accessible and quicker. Review of remaining 30 pieces of guidance to ensure only those used and needed remain. Evaluation to be completed by Summer 2008
(B8) Radiation Policy delivery - joint working with EA HSE and EA currently control radiation safety. GlaxoSmithKline suggested this could be simplified	Inspection/ Enforcement	EA and HSE have a working group of officials looking at all the areas where the two organisations regulate non-nuclear radiation safety. They are considering if burdens on industry could be reduced without negatively impacting on management of risk.	Harmonisation, or measures to allow for joint or co-ordinated inspection regimes. Aiming to reduce the burden on dutyholders and make the system more efficient and straightforward.	Not included in ABME.	By end 2007 - working group to further discuss regulatory overlap, how best to determine which agency will be responsible for which area.