IOSH Responds To Löfstedt Review Of Health & Safety And Cameron's H&S Monster
IOSH today (16th January) publishes its response to the Lofstedt Review of health and safety in the UK, and our views on the Government’s own response to it.
The Institution broadly welcomed the findings of Professor Ragnar Lofstedt, who looked at 200 pieces of health and safety law last year, but we are concerned about how the Government plans to take forward his recommendations.
The response is presented in the form of a brief summary and a fuller document, and is introduced in a video by IOSH executive director of policy Dr Luise Vassie.
Rob Strange OBE, Chief Executive, IOSH says in the brief summary IOSH response document entitled, "more haste, less speed?":
“We hope that the government will treat the Löfstedt Review as an opportunity to streamline the law and help businesses understand what they need to do to manage
health and safety better – and save lives as well as protect their bottom line.
It shouldn’t be seen as a green light to cut corners. At the end of the day, it’s about protecting the people who make our economy tick.”
In the introduction to the full IOSH response document, IOSH explain:
"IOSH met with officials from the Department for Work and Pensions to express concerns about the question areas for the review, which were subsequently addressed. We also met Professor Löfstedt twice and submitted evidence to the review.
We are broadly supportive of the review, which found the health and safety system to be “fit for
purpose”, and that there is “...no case for radically altering current health and safety legislation”.
Furthermore, the review found that the problem “...lies less with the regulations themselves and more
with the way they are applied”.
Earlier this month during his talk to an audience of small businesses at a PM Direct event in Maidenhead, Berkshire today, the Prime Minister said: “I don't think there's any one single way you can cut back the health and safety monster.
In response IOSH slammed the comments, with the Institution’s head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones, saying:
“Labelling workplace health and safety as a monster is appalling and unhelpful, as the reason our legislative system exists is to prevent death, injury or illness at work, protecting livelihoods in the process. The problem identified by the Government’s own reviews is not the law, but rather, exaggerated fear of being sued, fed by aggressive marketing.”
In the same event, Cameron also revealed that he has requested the Health and Safety Executive to bring forward its timetable for abolishing or consolidating up to half of all existing regulations to the end of 2012. This comes just weeks after Professor Ragnar Lofstedt suggested that the cuts should be made over three years in his review of UK health and safety legislation – launched in November last year.
Commenting on the change, Richard added:
“Though we’re about to see lots of streamlining and merging of regulations, which we welcome, it’s important people understand that the essential duties will remain. It’s also vital that the review process isn’t unduly rushed, which could lead to mistakes and lowered standards – we’re concerned the timeline seems to be getting shorter and shorter.
And we’d reiterate that only simplification of the laws is necessary. It’s difficult to see how the Government will reduce the number by half without increasing the risk of injury and ill-health not just to workers, but the general public.”
The same announcement also revealed plans to cap the amount which can be earned by lawyers from small-value personal injury claims against employers and to reduce overall costs in cases funded by "no-win no-fee" deals. He also added that the Government would be taking self-employed people out of much of health and safety regulation.
Richard added:
“We’d urge that our UK self-employed working population shouldn’t be exempt from the protection the law currently affords them. They aren’t all involved solely with desk work, some are in construction, others are home-based hairdressers, and removing them from the protection they are currently afforded contradicts the development of a common sense-led, risk savvy society. They need to just manage their risks sensibly, like everyone else."
Download both documents from the E-Library Database by using keyword 'IOSH'
Source: IOSH
See also:
Did BBC Collude With Cameron’s Over Health And Safety Monster Comments?
