Posted By craig b hartley
There was a thread on here in the last 2 weeks concerning the conservatives wanting to cut red tape to save money with safety to be included.
According to the TUC this week,Deaths on construction sites this year could top last year's five year high, new figures suggest. Construction union UCATT said so far this year 29 site deaths have been reported. The union said five construction workers have been killed at work in the last three weeks alone. ' Tony O'Brien, secretary of the Construction Safety Campaign, criticised the government and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 'They're going into reverse,' he told Contract Journal. 'It's very distressing because if you look at some of these individual events, they are totally preventable.'
Prospect negotiator Mike McDonald, who represents HSE inspectors, said: "Whatever way you cut this, there are insufficient inspectors to maintain current injury rates. What you need is a combination of more inspection to provide vital enforcement and to ensure that policy is developed to tackle this.' He called on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to rethink its proposed budget cuts of 15 per cent for the HSE from 2008 to 2011.
It seems that Labour have already started the cuts, with what can clearly be seem deaths are going to keep risen!

Posted By craig b hartley
hi john

And my point is ?

241 people died last year many avoidable, hopefully you'll never be in the position to tell a family there loved one died as result of doing their job!

now there were was alot of people calling for iosh to address the tory plan it's even on the front page of the site. but nothing was said about the cuts that are happening now, which are accountable for the rise in deaths and accidents.

you mention PPE is that not the last line of defence, n the fact you notice people not wearing it, should you not be doing something about it, rather than turning a blind eye.

another 15% cut to the HSE that'll certainly help enforcement.

If you had 241 people killed in your area, i'm sure you'd be bleating for more police on the streets. Strong enforcement is the only answer that'll get employers taking a notice and reacting accordingly.

Posted By Safety-Dave
What is actually needed is more competent, practical and experienced Health & Safety People. These people need to be able to offer practicable solutions to the real issues that are found in the modern workplace.

Just look at a lot of the total garbage that is posted on this forum from so called competent people! Example the use of Harness’s when using MEWP’s or the need for the Electrical testing of double insulated tools like mobile phone chargers.

When I am saying about competent H&S people I mean ones who CAN, WILL and DO try to educate all their employees including Managers and Directors. I am not talking about the ones who want to hide behind their adviser job title just in case they have to appear in court.

Anyone who thinks that more enforcement will bring the current statistics on Fatalities and Ill Health down is living on another planet. As a Health & Safety Professional it is actually YOUR job to win other hearts and minds. If you cannot do this then get another job.

Yes it is true that the headline grabbing details about cut backs in the HSE do give the impression that Health & Safety is not a priority of Government but you must remember that this All Politicians are only interested in getting re-elected.

Also remember accidents and fatalities occur to all people regardless of their Political affiliation, sexual orientation, race colour or creed and despite there being numerous laws to try and prevent such occurrences.

The only people who seem to be advocating more enforcement and laws are those who do not run businesses.

If you look at any successful business they recognise that their most valuable asset is their people. If any Health & Safety person believes that a business will cause harm to their valuable assets, (fee earners for the organisation), should be sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

The bottom line is stop winging and get on with the job you are paid to do i.e. win hearts and minds or change jobs.

My view is that there is already far too much political interference in business

Posted By J Knight
Hi Folks,

Safety Dave, afraid I disagree strongly with one of your comments; more enforcement is the answer, reducing H&S pressure will just let many businesses off the hook.

And John M; yes 241 deaths is less than 3,200, but bear in mind that maybe as many as 1,500 of those 3,200 were people at work at the time and you have 1,750 (ish) v 1,700; not a lot in it, really. Even at the lowest current estimate of road-related work deaths we still have a true at work fatality figure of nearer 1,000 rather than the 241 based on reported workplace deaths.

Then there's all the workplace contracted ill-health deaths to think about...

John