Minister ignores work's 'inconvenient corpses'

An investigation by Hazards magazine has discovered the government minister responsible for workplace safety deliberately misled MPs on 'the terrible human and economic cost of health and safety failings at work'. The 'Firm Favourites' report says Chris Grayling was 'spoon-fed' a £20bn figure by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in a 'suggested reply' to a parliamentary question from Labour MP Ian Lavery. But HSE's briefing to the minister, obtained by Hazards using a freedom of information request, also advised the minister the estimate 'does not include the costs of long-latency disease,' adding: 'These costs could be considerable.' This advice, not included in HSE's model reply, was not made known to MPs. Hazards estimates the contribution from just one asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, would add at least £5 billion to the bill. The real costs figure, if mortality and morbidity from other occupational cancers, work-related heart disease and other conditions were accounted for, would be several times the total Grayling passed on to MPs. The magazine concludes: 'Grayling's creative accounting, aided by a compliant HSE and combined with an industry-blind spot on the substantial cash benefits to society of not killing or sickening workers, creates a regulation averse fiction to justify less health protection at work. It is an approach that experts are now warning can cause serious harm to real businesses and real-life workers.' The report also warns that the minister has exhibited a serious bias towards the industry lobby, while ignoring the concerns of those facing risks in the workplace. While the minister has had 'face time' with two insurance industry bodies and 10 business lobby groups in recent months, he is still refusing to meet with Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK), whose membership is composed entirely of individuals who have lost a family member in often horrific and always devastating workplace fatalities. Hazards suggests these 'inconvenient corpses' are something the deregulation focused minister would rather ignore.