date: 5 August 2008

embargo: 00.01hrs Wednesday 6 August 2008

Government report on business health and safety record falls short, says TUC

The TUC has expressed disappointment with the conclusions of Improving outcomes from health and safety, published by the Department for Business (BERR) today (Wednesday). The report considered the effects of the health and safety regulatory regime on smaller businesses.

Commenting on the report, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'This report does nothing to address the appalling health and safety record of Britain's small businesses. Instead it looks to what it terms the 'burden' of health and safety regulation for businesses.

'Small businesses have a worse record on most health issues than larger ones. Rather than address this problem, many have simply ignored it. More than half of small businesses have not even done a basic risk assessment, despite this being a legal requirement.

'Given the rising number of small businesses and the growing incidence of workplace ill-health, this report would have been an ideal opportunity to argue for greater resources for enforcement agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive, to allow them to increase their inspections of small businesses. At present small or medium sized businesses only get a visit from an inspector once every 20 years.

'The aim of health and safety regulation is to protect workers from injury and ill-health. Obeying the law is not a 'burden' but a legal duty and if an employer - whatever their size - is putting the lives or health of their workers at risk, they should be prosecuted like any other criminal.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Visit www.berr.gov.uk to download the Improving outcomes from health and safety report.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Congress 2008 will be held at the Brighton Centre, Brighton from Monday 8 September to Thursday 11 September. All applications for media passes must be received no later than noon Tuesday 2 September. The form is at: www.tuc.org.uk/mediacredentials

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (400 words) issued 6 Aug 2008