HEALTH & SAFETY PRACTITIONERS RESPOND TO GOVT REVIEW
IOSH members declare CDM 2007 a success but simplification required
The professional body for health and safety practioners has published a Report presenting the results of a survey of IOSH members in the UK providing member views and evidence to support the IOSH response to the Löfstedt Review.
The review chaired by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt called for evidence which closed on 29 July 2011. The review is due to make recommendations to Ministers by the end of October 2011 with the aim of “reducing the burden” of health and safety legislation.
Associated Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs) which provide advice, with special legal status, on compliance with health and safety law are also under scrutiny.
Summary of IOSH member survey results
In answer to the review questions, members cited 40 regulations and ACoPs they felt had significantly improved health and safety and should not be changed. The top four were:
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Work at Height Regulations 2005
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The top four cited as the best candidates for simplification were:
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended)
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
- Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
- Work at Height Regulations 2005.
The regulations suggested for mergers included:
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
- Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989 with either the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 or the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.
Twenty-one different regulations and ACoPs were suggested for abolition, most by single respondents, with only the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 proposed by more than 10 people.
Reasonably practicable concept is ‘essential’
Most respondents did not believe there were regulations that had added a significant burden on business while having a limited impact on health and safety. The majority of respondents supported the concept of ‘reasonably practicable’, calling it ‘vital’ or ‘essential’, though a minority thought it caused uncertainty.
Over 13 per cent thought compensation was driving inappropriate legislation, not the regulation or ACoPs themselves.
The majority felt there was no evidence of ‘gold plating’ of transposed law, with small numbers thinking there had been instances of under-transposition. Some felt that insurers could lead organisations to apply ‘gold plating’ to legislative requirements.
Approximately 40 per cent felt that the way health and safety law places responsibility on risk creators was currently appropriate, but there were suggested changes, including:
- directors to have legally explicit duties
- employees’ duties to be strengthened
- stronger enforcement.
General suggestions included:
- tackling the so-called ‘compensation culture’
- a broad set of regulations with sector-specific ACoPs
- improved risk education by incorporating health and safety into the curriculum.
Latest Construction Health and Safety News
LORRY RUNAWAY CLAIMED LIFE OF DRIVER
Workman died after being drawn under trailer
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 25th April 2018PETROL VAPOUR DANGER LEFT UNCONTROLLED
Workman suffered severe burns during refuelling equipment
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 25th April 2018HSE ENFORCEMENT UPDATE 25th APRIL 2018
Prosecutions and enforcement notices update and analysis
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 25th April 2018ROPE ACCESS WORKER FELL THROUGH FRAGILE ROOF
Prison sentence imposed on owner of rope access firm
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th April 2018FIRMS FINED £2M OVER FALLING PIPE FATALITY
Incorrect stacking of pipes triggered fall and crushing of workman
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 20th April 2018DOMESTIC PROJECT PC HANDED JAIL TERM
Workman fell from unprotected roof edge on dormer extension
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 20th April 2018MAJOR CONTRACTOR ERRED ON FRAGILE ROOF RISK
Firms fine £965,000 after painter fell through waiting room roof
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 19th April 2018HSE ENFORCEMENT UPDATE 19th APRIL 2018
Prosecutions and enforcement notices update and analysis
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 19th April 2018STRUCTURAL SAFETY BODY LATEST NEWSLETTER
CROSS publishes reports and expert comment on a range of issues
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th April 2018NEW BIM SPEC FOR SHARING H&S INFORMATION
Specification for sharing health and safety info during construction projects
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 17th April 2018MANAGERS FORGED ASBESTOS DOCUMENTATION
Removal licence obtained using fake training and medical certificates
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 17th April 2018FINE OVER INCORRECT AND MISLEADING SURVEY
Specialist asbestos company failed to detect AIB on demolition project
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 17th April 2018IGNORING HSE ADVICE PENALISED BY LARGE FINE
Contractor fined over £50k for persistent WAH and welfare failings
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 17th April 2018PRISON OVER BASEMENT EXCAVATION AND COLLAPSE
Building contractor jailed after house collapsed in Brighton
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 17th April 2018DEFEATING POWER INTERLOCK CAUSED FLASHOVER
Systems for managing electrical safety found to be inadequate
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 17th April 2018LADDER SAFETY FAILURES ATTRACT MASSIVE FINE
National window firm left workers to ‘own devices’
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 12th April 2018FALLING MATERIAL STRUCK WORKMAN IN EXCAVATION
Risks of working in and near excavations highlighted by incident
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 4th April 2018HSE ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY UPDATE 4th APRIL 2018
Prosecutions and enforcement notices weekly update and analysis
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 4th April 2018HOUSING ASSOCIATION FAILED ON VIBRATION RISK
Assessment, management and health surveillance all found wanting
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 3rd April 2018OCCUPIER AND CONTRACTOR FINED OVER FALL
Employee assisting contractor fell through roof during re-roofing project
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 3rd April 2018HSE FEARFUL OF GROWING ’BLUE TAPE’ BURDEN
ISO 45001 could generate fresh business to business demands
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 3rd April 2018HSE ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY UPDATE 21st MAR 2018
Prosecutions and enforcement notices weekly update and analysis
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th March 2018INCIDENTS: PASSER-BY STRUCK BY BRICKS
Pack of bricks appear to have fallen from crane
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th March 2018HSE RECONSIDER HOW TO INFLUENCE SMALLER FIRMS
Regulator advice and messages are failing to chime with the SME businesses
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 27th March 2018