BRE backs health and safety rules, IOSH insists

The Better Regulation Executive (BRE) "fully recognises" how important health and safety legislation is, a leading group of professionals asserts.

Responding to an article in the Financial Times, the president of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Ray Hurst disagrees the BRE is encouraging small businesses to avoid health and safety experts.

He describes the key behaviour for businesses as seeking the best advice for their circumstances and says the BRE recognises this.

Advocating access to professional advice, Mr Hurst claims this will reduce the stringency of over-cautious regulations and the risk of under-protecting workers.

He warns companies current legislation means health and safety practitioners may not be competent at their jobs and insists the BRE are working with IOSH to campaign for more government guidance on what this entails.

"The real imperative is for businesses, large or small, to get the best advice," he says.

According to the BRE, its goal is to "simplify, improve and even scrap existing regulations".