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In a move which is considered to be far worse than originally stated by the Con-Demned government coalition, self-employed workers in industries well known for their deadly record, are to be excluded from health and safety law!
Proof enough of the government not giving a damn for the health safety and welfare of UK employees was evident in the whole exercise of calling H&S law ‘Red Tape’, but this latest move shows that the government has no clue about the conditions in industry and businesses across the nation, or any understanding whatsoever of health & safety legislation. Little wonder given the cabinet is made up of millionaires!
 Now, a TUC analysis of the three most recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) month fatality reports found most could be in occupations not included in the government’s draft ‘prescribed’ list of self-employed jobs to remain subject to health and safety law.
TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson said:
“Of the 17 self-employed deaths, six would certainly not be covered, and of the remainder it is likely that another six or seven may not be covered, but it is impossible to tell on the basis of what the list says,”
He added that the government’s short list of self-employed jobs to remain subject to safety law “is frightening. It excludes huge areas with self-employed people in dangerous occupations such as those working in the entertainment industry building sets, vehicle repair, haulage, people in docks and almost all of manufacturing. Even those areas that are covered are hardly clear. Construction for instance, makes no reference to those working in people’s homes, such as plumbers, carpenters and electricians.”
He went further, saying:
“Of course self-employed people killing themselves is a tragedy, but that is not what this proposal is about. The HSE has never prosecuted a self-employed person who killed or injured themselves. It is the danger to others that the HSE has tried to control, not only of death but also occupational disease and injury. Under the new proposals anyone not in the list will not be able to be prosecuted if they kill or injure someone, however negligent they are.”
Describing the proposals as “absolutely appalling”, he added:
“Even for those self-employed people who want to obey the law, finding out if you are exempt of not will be a nightmare and simply lead to more of them having to turn to consultants. All in all, a recipe for confusion and a licence for cowboys.”
Source: TUC Risks / Unionsafety
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