'Common Sense' Shake-Up Needed, Says Young

After the published review into the current regulations, the Government are planning a more "common sense" approach to health and safety rules.

In the report, entitled Common Sense, Common Safety, Former Conservative Minister Lord Young, wrote: "For too long, health and safety has been allowed to become a joke in the media and among the public. It's about time it was taken seriously."

He added that the standing of health and safety in the eyes of the public has never been lower, despite the success of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).

The Former Conservative Minister also highlighted a nationwide compensation culture and the "growing fear" among business owners having to pay out for unreasonable claims.

His report discussed 'no win, no fee' claims and the all-pervasive advertising by claims management companies. He urged that the incentives for claiming compensation had to change.

He recommended that the Road Traffic Accident Personal Injury Scheme be extended to include other personal injury claims to provide a simple three-stage procedure for lower value claims, accessible via the internet, with fixed costs for each stage.

Lord Young also proposed a "common-sense approach" to educational trips, working with teachers to encourage them. He said the current system involved a plethora of forms to fill in, deterring teachers and others who work with children from arranging any trips at all.

All recommendations in the review have been accepted by the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

In a recent interview, Lord Young commented: "We live in a world which is slowly going mad - with people banned from doing quite innocuous things."

(BMcN/KMcA)