Free publications from HSE, but strategy lacking

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) unveiled its new strategy this month. Unions welcomed the announcement that the HSE will make all its publications accessible in pdf format on its website within a year.

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said: “Union safety representatives need access to the safety guidance and approved codes of practice that the HSE produces to deal with problems at work or to challenge their employers when they cut safety corners.”

The Hazards campaign criticised the gap between rhetoric and reality in the new strategy. The strategy speaks of “the need for strong leadership”, but does not call for legal duties on directors. It speaks of “involving the workforce” but does not recommend new rights for safety reps. Hazards argues that the strategy simply appeals to everyone to sign up to doing better but offers no more severe sanctions to non-compliant employers.

Hazards spokesperson Hilda Palmer said: “Without a massive injection of resources and real political will to tackle the many non-compliant and criminally negligent employers, it is hard to see how more voluntarism can have any real impact.”