Complacent HSE must end decline in enforcement

Unions have welcomed new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures showing a reduction in the number of workers experiencing work-related ill health and injury - but have warned against complacency.

Official statistics published earlier this month revealed that:

* reported major injuries to employees in 2005-06 were down 7% on a year earlier, at about 28,000; and

* the number of working days lost to work-related injury and ill health in Britain fell from 40 million in 2000-02 to 30 million in 2005-06.

The HSE claims that the figures show it is now on track to reach its "Revitalising Health and Safety" targets by 2010. But unions are more sceptical, pointing out that the combined fatal and major injury rate is no lower now than it was at the start of the decade - this year's fall followed dramatic increases in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

And with the decline in enforcement, improvements are unlikely to be sustained. The HSE has also revealed that the number of safety prosecutions in 2005-06 was just 1,012 - a 23% drop from 1,320 the previous year.

"Fewer inspectors, fewer visits and fewer prosecutions mean more unsafe workplaces," warned TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. "Employers need to know that, if they kill or injure a worker, they will be prosecuted."

Health and safety statistics 2005/06 can be downloaded from www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0506.pdf