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The government has published its response to an inquiry into the work of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive.
The 2007 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Select Committee inquiry entitled The role of the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive in regulating workplace health and safety was published in April.
It raised concerns over a lack of funding for the body, which it said was "spreading itself too thinly".
The government response said that some employers, particularly small and medium enterprises, can find it difficult to understand and apply health and safety law.
It added that HSE has made efforts to reduce the administrative burden on businesses and said it should continue to review the support it provides.
The government also said it is disappointed that more has not been done to promote the role of trade union safety representatives in improving health and safety standards.
In concluding, the response stated: "We are concerned at evidence that HSE is currently spreading itself too thinly.
"We call on DWP to evaluate whether HSE has the capacity to take on the additional responsibilities that it is being given as well as effecting the increase in deployment of front-line inspectors that we have argued is necessary."
