Are Safety Regulations Hampering Business?
Regulation Action Plan
The UK government has launched a comprehensive Regulation Action Plan focused on cutting red tape and supporting economic growth. While Health & Safety is not the key driver here, the review will include a review of Safety Regulations as the UK government seeks to cut the administrative cost of regulation on business by a quarter and make Britain the best place to do business.
Previous cuts in Regulations
I’m old enough to remember in 2010, Lord Young's report entitled "Common Sense, Common Safety" which examined the so called ‘compensation culture’ and the impact of health and safety regulations on businesses and personal freedoms. Following the publication of this report, the UK government launched a review of all existing health and safety law in March 2011 which, became known as the Löfstedt review, named after Professor Ragnar Löfstedt who undertook the review.
By April 2013, one in 10 sets of health and safety regulations, 200 sets of outdated guidelines were scrapped meaning one fifth of all health and safety publications were eliminated.
It’s interesting to note that even though a lot of Legislation, Approved Codes of Practice and H&S guidance was scrapped in 2013, accident trends in the UK have been on a downward trend with the exception of fatalities which have plateaued.
It appears that cutting regulations does not lead to deterioration in H&S standards as in general, organisations understand that good health & safety standards lead to financial benefits such as reduced costs from fewer accidents, while also boosting productivity, morale and reputation.
Arinite helps their customers achieve and maintain good health & safety standards with regular Health & Safety Audits and workplace inspections which are essential for any organisation committed to maintaining a safe work environment, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, and engaging the workforce.
Main Objectives of Regulation Action Plan
The current Regulation Action Plan, published in March 2025 with a progress update in October 2025, addresses three main themes:
1. Tackling complexity and burden of regulation
2. Reducing uncertainty across the regulatory system
3. Challenging risk aversion
Key Reforms and Initiatives
The Regulatory Innovation Office was established in October 2024 to promote a pro-innovation regulatory system, and in its first year has engaged with over 40 regulators and 150 different businesses.
The government’s big ticket item is planning reforms with an overhaul of the planning laws. It also intends to abolish Ofwat and merge the water regulation functions of four different bodies into a single water regulator. Other regulators are also being either abolished or merged into single public bodies.
HSE's Participation in the Regulation Action Plan
The Health and Safety Executive is part of the wider response to the government's plans to support growth; however, the approach is notably measured and focused on streamlining rather than wholesale deregulation.
The regulation review for health and safety appears to be more about refinement rather than radical change. The focus is on eliminating bureaucracy that doesn't contribute to actual risk reduction, while maintaining the protections that have made Britain one of the safest places to work. This contrasts with more aggressive consolidation happening in other regulatory areas like water and financial services.
Specific H&S Regulatory Reviews
Lifting and Pressure Systems - The HSE launched a Call for Evidence in October 2025 to review the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR), with the review focusing on targeted amendments rather than comprehensive regulatory reform. The review aims to identify any unnecessary administrative or financial burdens that do not meaningfully contribute to risk reduction, assess whether regulations have become outdated in practice, and explore opportunities for reform that could enhance regulatory clarity, foster innovation, and support economic growth.
RIDDOR Simplification - The HSE has announced a formal review of RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) to make the process simpler, more proportionate, and fit for modern work.
The HSE's approach emphasises maintaining safety standards - HSE's deputy director Kate Haire stated the exercise was not a wholesale rewrite but a "targeted approach to regulatory reform," wanting a regulatory system that not only protects those at work, but also encourages new investment, innovation, and growth.
Summary
It's evident from recent parliamentary sessions that the HSE is still grappling with resource and financial constraints, which have ultimately affected its own productivity, though the HSE is working to improve this.
We will wait and see the outcome of the review and if there are to be any Health & Safety regulatory changes but if there are, it appears these will be relatively minor and nowhere near those experienced in 2013.
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