Official plan means less justice, more deaths

Official plan means less justice, more deaths

A new government safety strategy that will mean an unprecedented reduction in the number of workplace safety inspections, no proactive inspections for the majority of firms and new quickie risk assessments for millions of businesses will lead to more deaths and injuries at work, the TUC has said. The warning came this week as the government launched its 'Good health and safety, Good for everyone' strategy. The new blueprint will be accompanied by a review of all workplace safety legislation and has been welcomed by the business lobby but slammed by safety campaigners. Announcing the changes, employment minister Chris Grayling said: 'Of course it is right to protect employees in the workplace, but Britain's health and safety culture is also stifling business and holding back economic growth. The purpose of health and safety regulation is to protect people at work and rightly so. But we need common sense at the heart of the system, and these measures will help root out the needless burden of bureaucracy.' He added: 'This will help us make Britain a more growth focused, entrepreneurial nation. By reducing unnecessary red tape we can encourage businesses to come and invest in the UK, creating jobs and opportunities when we need them most.' But TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said it was a lose-lose package. 'Employers need to know that there is the possibility of a safety inspector visiting, otherwise there will be no incentive for them to ensure they are protecting their workers. Removing proactive inspections from a large number of workplaces means that employers can get away with ignoring the law until they kill or seriously injure someone. This is in no-one's interests and will mean an increase in deaths and injuries, leading to a rush to the bottom as cowboy companies undercut responsible employers by cutting back on safety.' He added: 'The proposals are not only bad for workers' health and safety, they will also be bad for the economy as the health service and benefits system have to deal with the aftermath of more injuries and illnesses caused through unsafe work. The strategy is not about better regulation, it is about deregulation and is all part of a bigger plan to reduce the rights that workers have to safety and fair treatment.'

• TUC news release. DWP news release and Good health and safety, Good for everyone [pdf]. BIS news release on the government's wider deregulatory package.CBI news release. EEF news release.
• TUC safety campaign resources: Fighting the cuts to health and safety. How to lobby your MP on health and safety. The case for health and safety.

TUC March for the Alternative, 26 March.