HSE inspectors lobby over cuts

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors' union Prospect lobbied MPs at the House of Commons on 28 October to highlight the funding crisis at the executive.

The lobby was held because the government has frozen the HSE's budget, resulting in 50 inspectors lost this year already. Now the HSE plans to reduce the number of investigations into major injuries at work and the time spent on the cases they do investigate.

Inspectors have been instructed to "conclude investigations as early as possible" and new criteria being piloted means some injuries such as scalping, serious multiple fractures or losing the top of two fingers will not even be investigated.

Stephen Kay, Prospect's HSE branch chair said: "Rather than axing HSE inspectors we would like to see the numbers doubled so each workplace is inspected at least once every five years. At present employers can expect a visit every 10 to 15 years, if at all."