Union Safety - Official Website of NW BT Union Health and Safety Coordinators Committee - Business Gets Second Bite At H&S Regulation Apple




Business Gets Second Bite At H&S Regulation Apple		Business Gets Second Bite At H&S Regulation Apple Attacks on health and safety regulations in the UK continue, this time under the guise of better regulation for business. Whilst no one argues with the need for all regulations, never mind H&S, to be easily understand, realistic and necessary; the reality is that business would be happy for all H&S law to be repealed in line with Tory policy. Furthermore, the Federation of small Business have always seen health and safety legislation as 'red tape'. The Government's Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has invited all businesses to determine the shake up of health and safety regulation with the aim of: " ........ looking for ways to make sure health and safety requirements on business are sensible so that everyone can enjoy safer and healthier working lives." It will send a shiver down the spines of thousands of union safety reps who on a daily basis find themselves in a hostile environment when it comes to health and safety as many businesses simply ignore their health and safety responsibilities. The view of course will be that this is yet again another attempt to water down or abolish most health and safety regulation in favour of business financial need. The BER website invites all businesses to respond and give their view on health and safety: We want to hear your views and experience of the health and safety system. For example: What are the main things that influence health and safety in your business? Could government do anything to make it easier to get things right? In general, how well are people at work protected? Are there particular health and safety requirements that do not make sense to you? What are they? Why? Would you rather government told you exactly what to do? Or do you want Government to leave the detail for you to sort out? Have you found any particular initiatives especially helpful, e.g. example risk assessments? Interestingly a special service aimed at providing business with free health and safety support and advice, Workplace Health Connect, set up by the government; was underused by business and has been seen as a total flop. Proof further, if any were needed, that business in general has no real concern for health and safety in the workplace. Commenting on this announcement made by the Chancellor at the CBI this week, GM Hazards says it all in their email to all NW safety reps: " Yet another round of deregulatory bumf!" It will be up to all USRs and TUC affiliated trade unions to respond to this document and " Call for evidence" and ensure their views are well documented in the consultation exercise. Sadly there are those who will feel that USRs and Trade Unions will be ignored as they have been recently when it came to reviewing the needs of USRs and changes to the USR legislation. See related news items: FSB Attacks on H&S Legislation Slated By Scottish TUC Workplace Health Project An Expensive Failure See also: Berr website and call for evidence documentation Source: Unionsafety / BERR Website


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