What Now For Health & Safety Asks Institute Of Employment Rights?
The above question has been on the lips of all Union Safety Reps ever since the ConDem(ned) government launched its attacks on health & safety legislation with the coercion of the countries TV and Newspaper media.
The Institute of Employments Rights are attempting to answer the question with a one-day conference to be held in London on 9th May. The background to this is detailed below, taken from the seminar leaflet which can be downloaded by clicking on the pic to the left. You can use this to apply to attend the seminar.
In 2011 the coalition government commissioned Professor Ragnar Löfstedt of
King’s College London, aided by an independent panel, to review the so-called‘burden’ on business of health and safety legislation. There was a call for
evidence in July 2011, and ‘Reclaiming health and safety for all: an independent
review of health and safety legislation’ was published in October 2011.
The report made a number of recommendations including simplifying the
Approved Codes of Practice, and reviewing and consolidating a number of
sector-specific regulations. A timetable of further tasks has now been put into
place including plans to revoke regulations deemed to be ‘unnecessary’.
Although the world of work has certainly changed since the introduction of the
Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 there is no reason to believe that the
level of risk has diminished. The types of risks faced by workers and the gross
numbers of injuries, illnesses and fatalities reported remain unacceptable in
a civilized society.
In its response to the Löfstedt Review, three IER experts commented “While
the government had implied a thoroughgoing undermining of health and safety
law as a bureaucratic brake on business activity, the Review suggests no such
thing. In fact, it largely endorses the current regulatory framework for health
and safety and consequently does not appear to represent an explicit attempt to
weaken its foundations”.
The questions are, will the recent review of health and safety and the report
it generated, help to reduce accidents and injuries at work? What recommendations
does the Löfstedt report make and will those recommendations
help develop or dismantle the UK’s health and safety regime?
This conference will provide opportunities to look at the findings and recommendations
of the Löfstedt review and discuss them with the Report’s author– Professor Löfstedt and hear expert opinion and analysis from trade unionists and lawyers.
Guest speaker lined up to attend include Hilda Palmer, Hazards and Hugh Robertson, TUC
Source: IER
