Unite defends health and safety admin

A government report suggesting small businesses can reduce the length of time they spend on health and safety paperwork has been criticised by a leading union.

Unite criticises the Better Regulations Executive's recommendation that less than three and a half minutes a day should be spent on administrative health and safety work.

The report is entitled Improving Outcomes from Health and Safety.

It recommends low-risk businesses should have the amount of paperwork required from them reduced, but Unite's health and safety unit disagrees.

"Inspections and investigations by the Health and Safety Executive have already fallen to an alarmingly low rate and a strategy based on giving more credence to so called low risk sectors will push this rate even further down," a spokesperson says.

The organisation says health and safety commitments do not overburden businesses, but protect workers.

Unite is the largest union in the UK, with two million members and represents the manufacturing, technical and skilled labourers spheres.