The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has stated that these measures have either been overtaken by more recent Regulations, are redundant or do not deliver the intended benefits. They insist that these changes do not compromise essential health and safety protections and the aim is to make the legislative framework simpler and clearer.

This work forms part of wider reforms to help employers understand quickly and easily what they need to do to manage workplace risks.

HSE is taking action to raise awareness of the changes, particularly in relation to the revocation of the Construction (Head Protection) Regulations. They are working with the construction industry (particularly small contractors) to ensure that employers understand the continuing need for hard hats. The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 have been amended so that they cover the provision and use of head protection on construction sites, thus maintaining the level of legal protection.

The full list of measures being removed are:

• Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes (Amendment) Regulations 2010
• Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations 2010
• Notification of Installations Handling Hazardous Substances (Amendment) Regulations 2002
• Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989
• Docks, Shipbuilding etc (Metrication) Regulations 1983
• Notification of Installations Handling Hazardous Substances Regulations 1982
• Locomotives etc Regulations 1906 (Metrication) Regulations 1981
• Gasholders and Steam Boilers (Metrication) Regulations 1981
• Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Act 1922 (Exemptions) Regulations 1980
• Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Act 1922 (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations 1974
• Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing Regulations 1960
• Gasholders (Record of Examinations) Order 1938
• Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Act 1922