Thousands of small businesses will no longer receive health and safety inspections under new plans announced by the government.

Changes made as part of the coalition’s ‘red tape bonfire’ will see exemptions introduced for supposedly low-risk businesses including shops, pubs, and offices. The new rules will come into force from April 2013.

The changes have been widely criticised by trade union leaders, who suggest that they could lead to lower standards of workplace safety and leave employees at risk.

But the government says the relaxation is necessary in order to help return the country to growth.

High-risk workplaces such as construction sites will still be subject to inspection, as will those firms with a history of accidents.

The government is also preparing legislation that will mean that firms will only have to pay out civil damages when they are found to be negligent.

It is thought that employees’ rights will also be reduced in a separate set of changes, but Business Minister Michael Fallon insisted that the UK “is not going back to ‘fire at will’, where somebody can be fired just because you don’t like them.”

The government has said that a total more than 3,000 rules will be subject to change or abandon.

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