Sorry if I am being "a bit strong" but that's how it works in the UK. If you want to set up and run your own company, there are laws you need to comply with. If you find it too difficult to comply with the laws, don't set up/run your own company.
Complying with the RR(FS)O is hardly asking much of an employer, if anything it allows them to comply with the law in the way they want. The introduction of it make it easier for employers to comply with legislation and reduced the amount of laws they had to comply with. If empoyers missed the introduction, they need not panic, providing they had complied with the previous legislation, then most will be compliant.
The main reason that we are service driven is the lower cost of manufacture outside the UK, not fire safety legislation.
I thought small businesses were the back bone of the country and the economy......to be honest I think that if someone sat you down before you started and explained all the stuff you would have to comply with, and how much money you would have to turn over just to pay your taxes and sustain the business then fewer people would ever start a business.
As an employer of 6 people but I'm expected to have the same knowledge regarding every element of health & safety, fire safety, employment law, tax law etc etc as a firm employing 600 people.
As I don't play golf and work the best part of 12 hours a day within the business 6 days a week be it quoting, consulting, designing, commissioning, fault finding etc and I don't get to charge the hourly rate of some of the large nationals (or many consultants who don't know there tit from their elbow) - all present company accepted ofcourse (but I'm sure we have all met them!!). Finding the time to keep abreast of all the legislation aimed at businesses and employers is not top of my list when my priority is winning the next job and keeping the secretary paid and vehicles on the road.
As it isn't top priority for the man in the dry cleaners.
My point was that to many businesses the RRO is not the centre of the universe as it is to people like us who work within the industry. I'm not saying that that's right, it's just life.
The health and safety industry generally is the greatest money spinner, and as the man said we are so over legislated generally, it is rediculous.
......... rant over .....