Select Committee Vindicates UCATT Policies on Workplace Safety

Construction union UCATT have welcomed the findings of the Work and Pensions select committee report into the Health and Safety Executive, published today.

The report backs UCATT’s campaign that the HSE needs to take a more proactive approach to enforcement issues in order to better protect construction workers in particular and all workers in general.

In particular the select committee found that the voluntary guidance on director’s duties –asking companies to appoint a director to take responsibility for health and safety – was not the correct approach and backed the early introduction of statutory director’s duties. The committee’s finding tally with the academic research Bringing Justice to the Boardroom published by UCATT in October 2007.

Since voluntary guidance on director’s duties was first published in 2001 only 44 per cent of companies have opted to make a director responsible for health and safety. Despite this the HSE in league with the Institute of Directors issued fresh voluntary guidance last year. When directors assume responsibility for health and safety accident rates fall on average by at least 20 per cent

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: “The dogmatic decision by the HSE to press ahead with the failed voluntary code for director’s was wrong. I am delighted that the select committee has vindicated our position on director’s duties. Sadly until statutory director’s duties are introduced workers will needlessly lose their lives.”

The Select Committee was alarmed by the underfunding of the construction division of the HSE and drew clear links between high levels of inspections and safety standards. The construction division is so starved of resources that there are just 14 construction inspectors for the whole of Greater London, at a time when the industry is undertaking a huge number of high profile projects including the Olympics.

Alan Ritchie, added: “The senior leadership of the HSE have repeatedly said that it is up to the industry to take responsibility for health and safety. The select committee recognise that this type of approach is wrong in principle and wrong in practice. Workplaces are made safer through a high profile approach to inspections. It is time the HSE bosses stopped doing an impression of an ostrich and recognised the facts.”

UCATT acknowledge the select committee’s concern that the number of prosecutions conducted by the HSE have been in decline since 1999/2000. Only 30 per cent of construction fatalities result in a company being convicted. The committee said: “A robust system of prosecution and conviction is needed to enforce health and safety law and act as a critical deterrent to those inclined not to meet their legal obligations.”

The select committee opposed any suggestion that the Gangmaster Licensing Authority should be merged with the HSE. As it would divert the “focus” of the HSE and recognised that the GLA remit “extends further than health and safety at work”.

Alan Ritchie further added: “it is essential that the ministers at the DWP take on board the select committee’s excellent and wide ranging report and act on its findings. This opportunity to reduce workplace deaths must be grasped by the Government.”

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