The government is to review all health and safety laws with a view to scrapping any that put an unnecessary burden on business, it was announced today.
Ministers said regulation should focus on high risk sites and tackling rogue employers, not "tying up" Britain's businesses in red tape.
Health and safety inspections are to be cut by a third, and a review of existing regulations will be published in the Autumn by Professor Ragnar E Lofstedt, of King's College London.
Work and Pensions minister Chris Grayling called for a common sense approach to encourage growth and investment in the UK.
"Of course it is right to protect employees in the workplace, but Britain's health and safety culture is also stifling business and holding back economic growth,” he said.
"The purpose of health and safety regulation is to protect people at work and rightly so, but we need common sense at the heart of the system, and these measures will help root out the needless burden of bureaucracy.
"This will help us make Britain a more growth-focused, entrepreneurial nation. By reducing unnecessary red tape we can encourage businesses to come and invest in the UK, creating jobs and opportunities when we need them most."