The following details have been supplied by the TUC:
The government’s “toxic, corrosive and hazardous” record on health and safety has placed workers at risk and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in jeopardy, the TUC has warned.
The union body’s evaluation finds that since the coalition came to power in 2010, HSE has suffered a funding cut of over 40 per cent and has seen its independence “undermined”. It adds that HSE’s occupational health functions and official safety inspections have been “drastically cut”, new regulations have been blocked and some existing protections removed, reporting requirements have been undermined and access to compensation for work-related injuries and illness has been restricted. TUC’s report, launched ahead of the 28 April International Workers’ Memorial Day, warns these changes “are having, and will continue to have, a significant effect on the health of workers.”
The report concludes: “The question is whether the HSE, and our health and safety system, can survive a further period of cuts, deregulation and political neglect or abuse. There must be a real concern that we are close to losing the workplace culture and consensus on safety that has existed in Britain for so many decades, and the results of that loss could be disastrous.” TUC says there “must be a sea-change in our attitude to health and safety if we are going to stop this massive health problem that costs the state billions of pounds but which claims the lives of far too many workers.” It says its 10-point manifesto for a protective regulatory and enforcement system with worker involvement follows a proven model that is good for employers, the economy and the workforce.
