The BFPA supports Government’s reduction in health & safety inspection red tape
- 13 September, 2012
The Government’s announcement that new rules are to be introduced exempting hundreds of thousands of ‘low-risk’ businesses from burdensome health & safety inspections has been welcomed by the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA). BFPA director Ian Morris said: “The burden of red tape has long been a bugbear for many firms that simply want to get on with developing their business and paying the taxes that are the foundation of the UK’s stability, security and growth. In the case of low-risk environments such as shops, offices, pubs and clubs, the level of related health & safety regulations has for a number of years been a perfect example of regulatory overkill; the main byproduct of which has simply been wasted time, money, and a potential obstacle to expansion and development.
“I am delighted to hear that this onerous state of affairs looks like being consigned to history. This Government move should provide many businesses with a new lease of life, untethered by unnecessary bureaucracy. And in the case of higher-risk professions, such as construction, agriculture, offshore and manufacturing – professions that largely comprise the activities of the membership of the BFPA – I am hopeful that health & safety inspectors’ time and efforts can now be more constructively and cooperatively concentrated on these areas, thus increasing the effectiveness of the existing good practices.
“We at the BFPA take health & safety very seriously. For example, we highly recommend that when end-customers and OEMs source new or replacement hose they only entrust their business to a member of the BFPA’s Hose Accreditation Scheme. This scheme sets a high benchmark in quality by ensuring that when customers receive hose assemblies from a member of the scheme, they know that the supplier’s workshop and staff have been inspected for safety, quality and compliance before being awarded the Approved Hose Assemblies mark. We also run a series of training courses that set out to explain how individuals can work more safely with fluid power tools and equipment. Provided health & safety inspections are still conducted comprehensively and effectively where needed, the BFPA applauds this latest Government announcement.”
