Ministers have been warned they risk inviting a raft of claims by loosening health and safety legislation.

Consultation closed last week on the Department for Work and Pensions review of workplace rules, with the results to be published in the autumn.

Employment minister Chris Grayling says he wants to cut red tape by rooting out ‘needless bureaucracy’ which prevents businesses from growing.

The review, led by Professor Ragner Lofstedt, will ask whether there is evidence of inappropriate litigation and compensation arising from health and safety legislation, and whether changes are needed to clarify the legal position of employers.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has claimed workers could be exposed to unnecessary risk if legislation is too watered down.

APIl vice-president Karl Tonks said: ‘Any assault on health and safety, in a bid to cut back on what is perceived to be too much regulation, is a shot at the wrong target.

‘All that’s needed is to ensure people understand the existing rules properly and apply them with common sense.’