Businesses working out of offices to rent in Northampton may be some of the companies that find health and safety regulation a problem, according to a report.
Health and Safety: a risky business?, released by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), indicated that nearly half of all enterprises (47 per cent) call this "yellow tape" a burden, with it costing the UK over £4 billion cumulatively.
A fifth of sole traders questioned described enforcing these policies as an obstacle to hiring their first employee.
The BCC's report recommended that regulations should reflect the risk level of the workplace and be simplified and streamlined
It continued by saying the UK must review how EU directives in this area have been implemented.
Director-general of the BCC David Frost explained: "Only a straightforward and more proportionate system of health and safety regulation will make it easier for employers to comply."
A review of these regulations with the aim of supporting the country's economic growth by removing red tape while maintaining current improvements in workplace safety has been announced by the government.
The Lofstedt Review will gather evidence from a range of bodies, including private businesses, the public sector and academics.
