Unions disappointed by government safety stance

The government’s response to a Commons select committee report on the role of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is “disappointing and complacent”, according to Prospect, the union representing 1,700 staff in the safety body.

The report, published in April, strongly backed union arguments about the crisis facing the HSE. It warned that lack of funding was undermining the agency and called for more cash, more inspectors, more inspections and more prosecutions (Workplace Report May 2008). The government responded by saying that improvements would be achieved by HSE “prioritising and targeting its activities” and indicated it would continue with the existing policies.

Mike Macdonald, Prospect negotiator said: “We had hoped that ministers would heed the clear recommendations from the committee that further funding is needed to back frontline inspectors, not least because of the recent 28% rise in construction site fatalities.”

He added: “The union has argued for many years that there is a clear correlation between inspection and improvements in health and safety performance, and it was refreshing to see that recognised by the work and pensions committee. For the government to again refuse point blank to investigate increasing funding for proactive investigation, a policy we know works, is at best complacent.”