Table B: Ongoing simplification initiatives – progress and timescales

Initiative	Nature of burden	Description of measure	Desired outcome	Estimated Savings	Progress and timescales
Sensible Risk Management – example risk assessments (ExRAs)	Policy and administrative	Providing sector-specific example risk assessment to show businesses what a ‘good enough’ record looks like. These are mainly aimed at low risk, small and medium sized businesses.	To reduce the time businesses spend on carrying out and recording a risk assessment.	HSE has set a target reduction of £200 million from the £600 million costs on risk assessment estimated by the ABME An initial evaluation has shown an average saving of 46% of time taken to carry out a risk assessment for sectors covered by the 29 examples – reducing costs by an estimated £182 million. A further estimated £18.4 million has also been saved through addressing risk assessment requirements for noise, display screen equipment and manual handling, which were measured separately in the ABME.	By April 2008, HSE had published 29 ExRAs. A further 4 were published in November 2008. Summer 2008 – start of the initial evaluation Autumn 2008 – increased activity to promote the ExRAs. Early 2009 – further evaluation following the communications push.
Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations	Policy and administrative	A project to review the requirement on landlords to arrange an annual safety check of gas appliances and relevant flues by a competent gas installer.	To reduce burdens on landlords whilst not compromising on consumer gas safety.	The ABME estimated the landlords’ gas safety check to cost £236 million. A target reduction of up to £59 million has been set – a quarter of the estimated cost.	This project has been delayed from dates in the 2007 Plan. A revised timetable is set out below: Summer/Autumn 2008: HSE examined impact of options. Early 2009: stakeholder engagement on way forward. Spring 2009: HSE Board endorsement. By May 2010: changes in place.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations – guidance on labelling the weight of loads	Policy and administrative	HSE has produced additional web-based guidance clarifying the requirement to provide information on the weight of a load to employees, in particular when it is and is not appropriate to give precise information.	To reduce the cost of labelling where appropriate and increase compliance through a clearer understanding of the requirement.	A £32.5 million reduction target has been set by HSE, a quarter of the estimated ABME cost for this requirement. Savings will be quantified following evaluation in 2009.	May 2008: Guidance published. Early 2009: Evaluation on the effectiveness of the guidance.
The written health and safety policy statement - an electronic template to help complete the statement, combined with an electronic risk assessment template	Policy and administrative	HSE was planning on publishing web-based guidance to clarify requirements on completing a policy statement. However, HSE is now looking at a possibility to combine the need to have a written policy statement and the need to record a risk assessment by producing one electronic template.	To reduce duplication of efforts with the written record of health and safety arrangements.	Reducing duplicated paperwork could achieve an estimated £26.5 million saving according to the ABME data.	This work has been delayed in order to tie it in with the electronic risk assessment template. The template is due to be delivered by April 2009.
Removal of 8 forms required by Factories Act and Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act (OSR Act)	Administrative	HSE is proposing to remove the 8 notification and record keeping forms required by the Factories Act and the OSR Act through repealing the legal requirement for these forms.	If the forms are removed, employers will no longer be required to notify new premises to HSE or local authorities, nor keep certain redundant records at factory premises.	Removal of 8 forms will achieve a £21 million reduction using ABME figures	Summer 2008 – consultation on proposed changes April 2009 – any amending regulations in force.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations - rationalising and improving guidance and reducing risk assessment costs.	Policy and administrative	This initiative has various components: Rationalising the stock of guidance Revising HSE’s COSHH webpages to make them more accessible and easier to use. Redesigning the E-COSHH Essentials website, an interactive tool which helps users to do an in-depth risk assessment. Rewriting the leaflet “COSHH: A brief guide to the Regulations”,	To reduce the number of pieces of guidance to avoid confusion. To help employers understand their duties under COSHH by making guidance more accessible and easier to understand and reduce the cost for undertaking a risk assessment.	The initiatives aim to reduce risk assessment costs from COSHH by £11.1 million – a third of the ABME estimated cost.	Work on the website initiatives has been delayed from the 2007 Plan timetables. April 2007: Guidance reduced from 130 items to 30. Dec 2008: A further 5 pieces of guidance will be reviewed to see if they are still required. By March 2009: the revised COSHH website will be completed. By Dec 2008: review of E-COSHH cyyyyyyyyarried out. Mid 2009 Launch of revised E-COSHH. Evaluation of site to be completed 6 months after launch. By Mar 2009: Publication of the revised guidance.
Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations – the HSE law poster / approved leaflet	Administrative	HSE is proposing to amend requirements so that businesses no longer need to update the poster and / or leaflet following changes to these documents. HSE will also redesign the poster to make it more visually appealing.	To reduce the costs on businesses in updating their poster / distributing leaflets to employees. To make the poster more visually appealing and useful to employees, eg vulnerable workers.	The Impact Assessment shows administrative savings of £10.3 million for the proposed option, using data from the ABME.	May – August 2008 – consultation period. April 2009 – amending regulations in force, alongside the new poster.
Business on-line project – transferring HSE forms to electronic and interactive format	Administrative	To make all of HSE’s forms available in an electronic and interactive format, including pre-populating forms where possible. The forms with the highest usage will be completed first – beginning with a construction notification form (F10), followed by an asbestos notification form.	To save businesses time in completing and submitting forms to HSE.	£10 million – 25% of the ABME estimated costs of completing all forms in this project.	The project has suffered some slippage. June 2008: Successful launch of the F10 form. Remaining forms to be delivered by May 2010.