Why red tape is good thing.

Red Tape too much or too little? I see and hear comments constantly that there is too much red tape. Too much regulation and too much paperwork.

Vehicles

But. Who would drive a car if the roads were filled with drivers who were not insured. Who were not in possession of a driving licence which was awarded when a driving test was passed or where the vehicles had not been MOT’d? Would you be happy driving on a busy motorway surrounded by lorries and cars if this was the case?

Money

Who would be happy to pay their hard-earned money into a bank which was not regulated, where there was no policing of the liquidity of the banks and the Government didn’t underwrite deposits?

Food

As Brexit approaches, are you comfortable that the port authorities lift any restrictions or inspections for incoming food and other goods?

Would you buy your family’s food from a shop that showed no interest in food safety, and therefore, your family’s health?

Health

The medicines that are supplied as part of the medical treatment of anyone suffering from a headache to serious health issues such as cancer and chronic illness have all been subject to regulation, testing and lots of paperwork. Would you accept a liquid of indeterminate ingredients as the treatment for this? I imagine not.

Do you still believe that there is too much paperwork or red tape? I have worked in businesses where you needed to fill in 3 forms to draw an office key. I thought that was too much paperwork until the key went missing. Then it was a simple task to see who had last drawn the key and recover it.

I have also had many audits at businesses that I have worked in, both regulatory and customer led. These are when the paperwork has paid dividends. Being able to demonstrate that all the necessary checks, traceability and ultimately safety of the food being reviewed was invaluable. It raised the reputation of the business to the customer and decreased the risk to the regulator. If there is ever a need to demonstrate a due diligence defence to a regulator, the paperwork will support you. The court summons to be in front of a magistrate should never arrive.

Work with me and I’ll help you create a food safety management system for your business that will help you ensure that you can rely on the food safety paperwork – leaving you time to get on with the things that you do best.