Unions expose low levels of HSE inspection staff

There are more traffic wardens in London than Health and Safety Executive (HSE) field inspectors in the whole of the UK, unions have revealed.

The TUC has worked with Prospect and PCS, the main unions in the HSE, to produce a new briefing, HSE funding - a case for more resources. It indicates that, while there are officially 1,500 inspectors in the HSE, many do policy or managerial jobs - leaving only around 900 who actually go out and inspect workplaces.

The Field Operations Directorate has about 400 inspectors to cover all the inspections, investigations and prosecutions for manufacturing, the public sector, agriculture and other areas. The construction, chemicals and offshore sectors account for around a further 100, 80 and 120 inspectors respectively, and there are about 180 operational specialist inspectors and engineers.

"We need to put as much pressure on as many MPs as possible," said John Bamford from Greater Manchester Hazards Centre. "Workers' health and safety must be the only area of supervision of criminal activity that is not 'tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime'."

The HSE's budget has been cut considerably in real terms since 2002. Cuts announced in August mean a further 250 to 350 posts will be lost by 2008 via "natural wastage". By then, the HSE will have lost around 17% of the staff it had in 2002. And the HSE receives about as much public funding as Avon and Somerset Police Authority.

Bamford added: "The HSE has its problems, but we should not let the government get away with cutting already inadequate resources that fund the only health and safety police force we have."

HSE funding - a case for more resources is available at www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-12542-f0.cfm