 Home Health and Safety Health and Safety News
HSE inspection and enforcement hits new low
25 May 2006
A report in the TUC-backed safety journal 'Hazards' reveals a sharp decline in inspection and enforcement of health and safety.
The article, 'Sure, we'll be safe:HSE is walking away from inspections', is published in the April-June 2006 issue of Hazards. It reveals official stastistics that are no longer publicly reported by HSE. They show a 25% fall in inspections from 74,000 in 2003/03 to 55,000 in 2004/05. Similar declines in prosecutions - from 960 in 2003/054 to 712 last year - and in improvement or prohibition notices - from 11,335 to 8,445 - are also revealed.
TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said of the figures,'We know that inspections and prosecutions are the most effective way to stop employers from breaking the law. While good employers have nothing to fear from inspections, rogue bosses have never before enjoyed such freedom to neglect safety rules. There is a real danger that the UK's safety record will get worse unless the HSE devotes more resources to carrying out a greater number of more effective inspections.'
The Hazards report argues that breaking safety laws is a crime with possible life or death consequences and calls for health and safety criminals to be 'policed, caught and prosecuted.'
Hazards journal is a health and safety journal that provides resources and information for trade union activists and is supported by the TUC,. For subscription details, click here.
Download File:
[ picture ]
Contact Details
Health and Safety section
Ph: 0161 249 2441
Fax: 0161 249 2475
Email: healthandsafety@usdaw.org.uk
 Printer Friendly Page  Email to a Friend
|
