Safety changes impact HSE role
19/07/2010
Changes to health and safety laws have risked the lives of workers across the country over the past decade, a report reveals.
The changes have stopped the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) from being able to enforce safety procedures, according to the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.
The report, entitled 'Regulatory Surrender: death, injury and the non-enforcement of law', showed that investigations into health and safety incidents fell by 68% and business premises inspections fell by 69%. The report also shows a 48% reduction in prosecutions of companies that had breached HSE regulations.
The Government has recently announced a wide-ranging review of health and safety laws in response to claims that UK industry had been 'saturated' by health and safety legislation under the Labour government. Researchers at Liverpool, however, have found that the HSE's power to inspect and enforce health and safety regulations has been reduced, resulting in increased numbers of employers at risk from accident or injury at work.
Dr David Whyte, Reader in Sociology at the University of Liverpool, said: "The idea that health and safety has 'gone mad' does not seem to hold true. The collapse in inspection, investigation and enforcement has dramatically reduced the chances of businesses being detected and prosecuted for committing safety offences. Most serious injuries now are not even investigated."
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