Secrecy, distortions and misinformation at the HSE could cost lives, warns UCATT

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of construction union UCATT will today (February 4) warn that a culture of secrecy and misinformation at the Health and Safety Executive is risking workers safety.

Mr Ritchie will give evidence to the Department for Work and Pensions select committee. He will describe how the HSE have recently blocked inquiries to ascertain the current death toll of workers, despite this information previously being available.

He will also describe how the HSE deliberately distorted the take up of voluntary guidance on director’s duties. When the HSE released their latest voluntary guidance in October last year, they claimed that voluntary take up of director level health and safety duties stood at 79% in fact the real figure was just 44%. The higher figure only related to very large organisations.

A further concern relates to the HSE’s failure to maintain accurate information on its conviction databases. The HSE directed academic researchers to use this information and then complained that the research was inaccurate when published.

Finally he is expected to highlight how the lack of transparency at the HSE could be placing at risk construction workers coming into contact with asbestos. The HSE’s next campaign on asbestos will highlight the dangers faced by construction workers. Controversially the campaign has downgraded the dangers faced by carpenters (traditionally the construction trade thought to be at greatest risk). The HSE have said the downgrading is due to new research, which has allowed for a reassessment of those most at risk. After three months of requesting this evidence from the HSE, no information has been provided to UCATT, to justify this policy.

Prior to the evidence session, Alan Ritchie, said: “We have genuine concerns that affect workers safety. You do not make workers safer by distorting and hiding the truth. We have tried working constructively with the HSE but these issues are getting worse. The HSE should be our allies in making construction sites safer. However their obstructive attitude is allowing killer bosses to literally get away with murder.”

Last year 77 construction workers were killed at work a 31 per cent increase on the previous year. Due to HSE’s restrictions on supplying information it is not known exactly how many workers have been killed this year. The figure is at least 52 with two months of the reporting year remaining.

Mr Ritchie, added: “UCATT’s difficulties are not with the HSE inspectors who do a good job in difficult circumstances, with tight budget constraints. However it is clear to me that the problems stem from the HSE leadership. They are pursuing polices which are not in the best interests of construction workers.”