Simon Walker: An Inspector Calls: The Health and Safety regime forces businesses to undertake unnecessary activity

Simon Walker became Director General of the Institute of Directors in October 2011. Previously he held senior executive posts at Reuters, British Airways and served as Communications Secretary to HM The Queen.

Ronald Reagan once said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language were “I'm from the Government and I'm here to help.” Although not his original target, this witticism seems perfectly fitting for Health and Safety inspectors.

Let us take the example of an IoD member in the motor vehicle repair trade; his business was inspected for fire safety once and then inspected again, despite being sited in a brand new industrial unit. No breaches were found, but he could still face a further inspection at any time.

For too long we have tolerated irrational regulation in this country. A case in point is the IoD member who owns a retail business employing three people. The business has to provide training on how to use ‘hazardous chemicals’, such as bleach and toilet cleaners. The fact that all the staff use the very same products in their own homes is somehow not seen as relevant.