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UCATT claims HSE Chair needs to undertake a “reality check”
The HSE has been criticised by construction union UCATT for changing its statement of objectives.
The HSE Delivery Plan for 2011/12 states: “Our role is to enable innovation that brings economic growth while ensuring that risks are managed properly and proportionately. The construction union claims that previous HSE documents have stated the role was: “To secure the health and safety and welfare of people at work and protect others from risks to health and safety from work activity.”
HSE Chair Judith Hackitt is sad to have defended the change in emphasis by saying: “Change is never easy, but standing still is not an option.”
George Guy, Acting General Secretary of UCATT, said:
“Judith Hackitt needs to take a reality check if she believes that this is what the HSE should be doing. The HSE’s role is simple, it protects workers from being killed and injured. It is not the HSE’s role to be promoting economic growth, the Government has an entire department to undertake that task.
The HSE has been under sustained political attack by the Government and the cuts and policy changes forced on it will make all workplaces, especially industries with high accident rates such as construction, more dangerous. If the HSE moves away from its core functions it will make an already bad situation worse.”