Clegg challenged on inspectors’ ‘mind set’

Prospect, the union representing Health and Safety (HSE) inspectors, has written to the deputy prime minister challenging his prejudices about health and safety.

The union was responding to Nick Clegg’s recent suggestion that regulators need to change their mindset and “understand that [businesses’] job is to make life easier, not harder”. The union says Clegg is wrongly characterising the actions of inspectors as breathing down the necks of employers.

The union’s general secretary, Mike Clancy, said: “Far from ‘hounding’ business, numerous reviews of HSE’s activities...have illustrated the high level of support and respect for HSE and its appreciation of commercial reality.”

Clancy added “Given the average lifespan of an SME (small or medium-sized business) is seven years, a small business is more likely to fail than receive a visit from an HSE inspector — more typically once in every 15 years.”