The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed details of changes to health and safety regulations for the next eight months.
Three amendments will be made to existing legislation from April 2009 and are aimed at reducing form filling and administrative burdens on businesses.
The HSE says the Health and Safety Information (Amendment) Regulations will allow it to approve and publish new posters and leaflets that do not require the addition of enforcing authority and Employment Medical Advisory Service contact information.
The changes to the Factories Act 1961 and Offices, Shops and Railways Premises Act 1963 (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations will cut the amount of bureaucracy currently imposed on firms.
Currently, employers are required to fill out a form to notify the HSE or their local authority of any factory, office or shop premises, and certain railway premises, where employees work. In addition, factory employers are required to keep a set of records and forms called the "general register".
"We are consulting on these proposed regulations. They would remove several legislative form filling requirements that currently apply to most businesses operating from a factory, office or shop (and certain railway premises) in Great Britain," the HSE says.
"The regulations would introduce no new requirements. We are considering two areas: premises notification and the general register.
"We think these requirements are no longer needed and could be removed without detriment to current health and safety protection."
Rachael Haynes, business development manager for Norwich Union Risk Services (NURS), a health and safety consultancy and training company, says the current changes reflect a move away from major changes.
"In recent years we've seen a preference from regulators for minor amendments to health and safety rules, rather than the introduction of major new pieces of legislation.
"This latest statement from the HSE continues that trend, with further emphasis on making health and safety regulations easier to comply with."
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says it is committed to helping business and other stakeholders adapt to changes in occupational health and safety law and practice. To make it easier on businesses to implement changes, the HSE only implement changes to regulations and legislation twice a year, on 6 April (the start of the tax year) and 1 October.
"By harmonising commencement dates, we hope that those affected - businesses, employee representatives and individuals - will be more aware of forthcoming changes and better able to plan for and implement new measures effectively," the HSE says.
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