TUC voices dissatisfaction with new HSE web pages

New resources available on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website are no substitute for giving safety reps more rights, unions have claimed.

Launching the new "Workers' health and safety" web pages at last month's TUC Congress, safety minister Lord Hunt lauded them as "a rich source of information on health and safety for workers".

Developed in co-operation with the TUC, the pages contain information and guidance for safety reps on investigating accidents and ill health, training and facilities for reps, and data protection issues. It also has a "worker involvement assessment tool".

However, the TUC is less than completely enamoured with the new resources. "The HSE have stated that these were prepared in conjunction with the TUC," said head of safety Hugh Robertson. "While we commented on the pages in some detail, and of course welcome them, we would certainly not wish affiliates to have the impression that we are satisfied with them."

Robertson listed a number of unsatisfactory elements, including the absence of a link to the actual regulations, the emphasis on "responsibilities" rather than "rights", and "the lack of a positive union focus" in most of the material.

"The link to 'trade unions', for instance, takes you not to the TUC but to the DTI website," Robertson noted. "We would appreciate it if any unions who have concerns over the content of the pages could make their comments known to the HSE."

The pages are available at www.hse.gov.uk/workers/index.htm