The following has been supplied by the TUC:
Top safety academics from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have warned that the UK government's safety strategy is not evidence-based and is leaving workers at greater risk of injury and disease. The eight experts, including Professors Matthias Beck from Queen's University, Belfast, Steve Tombs from the Open University and David Walters from Cardiff University, 'note with concern the withdrawal by the UK government of routine inspections in the majority of workplaces.' They add that statements on the workplace safety web pages of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) claiming the 'burden of excessive health and safety rules and regulations on business has become too great' and that a 'damaging compensation culture is stifling innovation and growth' are not supported by the evidence. 'The government will best protect people in workplaces by effective regulation and enforcement yet the decline in funding for regulators is happening at a time when the UK is still faced with enormous burdens of work-related ill health as well as major injuries due to failures in workplace safety measures,' they note. The open letter adds that government 'lies and distortion' about business burdens and compensation culture should stop because 'properly enforced regulation is good for the workforce, good for the economy and favours the responsible businesses over the corner-cutting rogues.'
