HSE To Publish Some Deaths Information

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will now report work-related deaths on a monthly basis. The move, with will see HSE list work deaths once the related inquest has commenced, follows a Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) complaint to the Information Commissioner, who ruled last year that HSE must make this information available.
The referral to the Commissioner came after CCA had exhausted the HSE Freedom of Information appeals process, following the refusal by HSE of an original February 2005 information request.

The information will now be including in HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger's monthly report to the HSE Board.
The information will be posted on HSE's Freedom of Information webpages. Guidance on the information to be made available has been agreed for England and Wales and is under preparation in Scotland.

HSE is however placing limitations on information about the related workplace.

Its guidance says: 'Details of the victim's employer and/or who had control of the site at the time of death should be provided only when the relevant area inspector has confirmed that this information does not form part of the investigation.'

Campaigners have already told HSE they think this restriction is unacceptable. Like the victim's name, the person's employer will already be in the public domain once the inquest has started. Another contentious area is investigations into workplace deaths led by the police, which will not be included in the HSE list and which will include workplace manslaughter cases.

Information regarding what you can request under the Freedom Of Information Act from the HSE can be found here

Source: TUC Risks

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