Having consulted in accordance with section 16 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) withdrew the ‘Management of health and safety at work’ (L21), Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Approved Code of Practice and guidance on the 31 July 2013. The ACOP was withdrawn following recommendations by Professor Löfstedt in his independent review of health and safety legislation ‘Reclaiming health and safety for all’.

The HSE replaced the ACOP with what they describe as structured, web-based guidance including:

• Health and Safety Made Simple.
• A revision to the guidance previously branded as “Essentials”.
• Revised Five Steps to Risk Assessment.
• Managing for Heath and Safety (HSG65).

The HSE intends that this web-based guidance would provide advice to businesses, particularly SMEs, on how to comply with the law in a way that is much more specific than the current ACOP. The HSE has no intention to provide a replacement ACOP, only guidance will be provided in future. This marks a significant change in the HSE’s strategy and signals the end of ACOPs as we know them.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l21.htm