Less paperwork required? What do you think?
October 1st 2008 The HSE wants your views on proposals to remove several legislative form filling requirements that apply to most businesses operating from a factory, office or shop in Great Britain.
The consultation covers proposals to remove several legislative form filling requirements that apply to most businesses operating from a factory, office or shop in Great Britain.
The HSE is considering two areas:
• Premises notification - employers are currently required to fill out a form to notify HSE or their local authority of any factory, office or shop premises, and certain railway premises, where employees work.
• The general register - factory employers are required to keep a set of records and forms called the general register.
The HSE says it is proposing to abolish the requirements because:
• the premises notification requirement is redundant - HSE obtains information on factory premises using a range of more reliable and efficient information sources and strategies, as do many local authorities on offices and shops; and
• it seems clear the general register is obsolete – modern legislation has overtaken the original purpose of this requirement.
To achieve this the HSE would repeal the notification and general register requirements of the Factories Act 1961 and the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963.
The HSE says it is confident that this proposal would result in no loss of current health and safety protection.
The HSE is allowing 14 weeks for this consultation, rather than the usual 12, to compensate for the summer holiday period.
View the consultation document for these proposals [PDF 195KB]
Respond to the consultation using the online questionnaire or download a form to complete
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