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simon73  
#1 Posted : 06 October 2016 08:26:24(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
simon73

Hello All,

With the 'Great Repeal Act' which will dissentangle us from EU legislation around the corner. What impact do people think this and Brexit in general will have on health and safety in the UK in the future?

jwk  
#2 Posted : 06 October 2016 08:46:29(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
jwk

Well, since the 'Great Repeal Act' will enshrine all EU legislation as UK law (which it already is; more idiotic pandering to the bitter and resentful and their allies in the black-tops) it won't immediately make any difference. And since it took 40 years to make all this law, it will take a considerable amount of time to unmake it. In fact, if they were serious about getting rid of it all, they probably wouldn't be able to do much else for the next twenty years or so,

John

A Kurdziel  
#3 Posted : 06 October 2016 09:19:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

Well as has been said for the time being there will not be any changes but once the impact of Brexit bites than I suspect there might be pressure from people like Liam Fox( a man whose insight into he real world led him to stand for the Tory party leadership and gain 4.9% of the vote) will start on the idea that if we are to compete with places like China and Bangladesh we will need to accept lower standards of HSW ( this is the man who thinks that the fundamental problem of British industry is that managers spend their afternoons playing golf-insights obviously obtained by watching 1960’s sitcoms) . After that, anything might happen and none of it any good.
Rees21880  
#4 Posted : 06 October 2016 10:15:30(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Rees21880

My ramblings, for what they're worth.....

Short to medium term - I dont think that a lot will change as most EU law is now enshrined in UK law (as previous posters have stated). This may make international organisations more interesting/challenging to manage. For instance, there'll almost certainly become a time when Scottish HSE legislation becomes even more different to English and Welsh than it already is. And then there'll be the interactions of cross-border England into EU markets which will become more interesting.

Long-term:- Who knows?!

Just my thoughts. It'll certainly be interesting for us HSE practitioners.

Pete

Roundtuit  
#5 Posted : 06 October 2016 10:28:40(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Despite the Prime Ministers closing conference speech warning firms to abide by the rules it appears vested interest is already taking hold:

http://www.commercialfleet.org/news/van-news/2016/10/06/call-for-relaxation-to-law-on-drivers-hours

Roundtuit  
#6 Posted : 06 October 2016 10:28:40(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Despite the Prime Ministers closing conference speech warning firms to abide by the rules it appears vested interest is already taking hold:

http://www.commercialfleet.org/news/van-news/2016/10/06/call-for-relaxation-to-law-on-drivers-hours

peter gotch  
#7 Posted : 06 October 2016 12:09:10(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

Whatever the PM said this week about protecting workers' rights, I think that the Working Time Regs will be top of the deregulation agenda. Government fought hard against the adoption of WT Directive.

johnmurray  
#8 Posted : 06 October 2016 15:49:30(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
johnmurray

Originally Posted by: Roundtuit Go to Quoted Post

Despite the Prime Ministers closing conference speech warning firms to abide by the rules it appears vested interest is already taking hold:

http://www.commercialfleet.org/news/van-news/2016/10/06/call-for-relaxation-to-law-on-drivers-hours

Hilarious.

Which set are they going to "get rid of"

There are effectively three (although two are more-or-less the same)

EU

AETR

GB

https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/overview

djupnorth  
#9 Posted : 07 October 2016 12:19:05(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
djupnorth

jwk/all,

Can I first of all state the facts, there is no EU health and safety legislation in the UK as all health and safety requirements derive from Directives and not Regulations, all existing health and safety legislation is UK law and as such, it will remain UK law after Brexit.

However, following Brexit, the government will be free to create, amend or repeal health and safety and any other legislation as it sees fit.  

The theory is that following the de-regulation agenda, the Lofsted report and the 'gold plating' arguement will all re-surface, leading to a dilution and/or removal of much of the health and safety law we have in place today.  The counter argument is that nothing will change and existing health and safety legislation will remain in place and as effective as it is today.

I hope this helps.

DJ 

djupnorth  
#10 Posted : 07 October 2016 12:20:43(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
djupnorth

jwk/all,

Can I first of all state the facts, there is no EU health and safety legislation in the UK as all health and safety requirements derive from Directives and not Regulations, all existing health and safety legislation is UK law and as such, it will remain UK law after Brexit.

However, following Brexit, the government will be free to create, amend or repeal health and safety and any other legislation as it sees fit.  

The theory is that following the de-regulation agenda, the Lofsted report and the 'gold plating' arguement will all re-surface, leading to a dilution and/or removal of much of the health and safety law we have in place today.  The counter argument is that nothing will change and existing health and safety legislation will remain in place and as effective as it is today.

I hope this helps.

DJ 

Roundtuit  
#11 Posted : 07 October 2016 14:52:45(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Not all EU legislation written in to UK law is transcribed from Directive (e.g. CHiP/COSHH) - some enactments have been for Member State wide direct acting regulations (e.g. REACH/CLP) which impact across a large number of our Statutory Instruments

Roundtuit  
#12 Posted : 07 October 2016 14:52:45(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Not all EU legislation written in to UK law is transcribed from Directive (e.g. CHiP/COSHH) - some enactments have been for Member State wide direct acting regulations (e.g. REACH/CLP) which impact across a large number of our Statutory Instruments

johnmurray  
#13 Posted : 09 October 2016 07:15:47(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
johnmurray

REACH will continue for at least two years after A50 is invoked.

In all probability it will not be altered at all. We will still have to trade with the EU, and if we do not meet their production/import requirements for goods and services, we just won't get to sell to them.

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