Labour peers have ended their opposition to plans to exempt some self employed people from the Health and Safety at Work (HSW) Act after the government said it intended “to produce a set of regulations that will retain a duty on all self-employed persons who may pose a risk to the health and safety of others”.
The proposed exemption is covered by Clause 1 of the Deregulation Bill. When the bill reached the Report Stage in the House of Lords last month, the government indicated that it would reconsider its plans in light of serious concerns raised by organisations including the TUC, employers’ body the Confederation of British Industry and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health during the HSE’s consultation.