27/07/2007
New figures showing an 11% rise in the number of workplace fatalities over the last year in the United Kingdom is confirmation that the Health and Safety Executive is underresourced, the union representing HSE inspectors, policy advisers, scientists and managers has warned.

Prospect says the 2006-07 statistics for work-related deaths confirm that HSE’s reaction to its shrinking budget and reduced workforce has been to cut the amount of investigation and enforcement. This is despite evidence showing that inspection backed by enforcement is the most effective way of ensuring employers comply with their health and safety responsibilities.

Prospect negotiations officer Mike Macdonald said: “HSE’s policy is often a matter of intense debate but this is simple; unless HSE is properly funded it cannot function. It cannot meet its public expectations to advise, inspect and enforce workplace health and safety so that Britain’s 28 million workers have confidence they will not be injured or killed at work. Over 350 major injuries were not investigated last year due to the lack of trained inspectors.”

The union fears that the Executive is no longer able to investigate all major accidents. “With adequate funding in the past, we succeeded in making substantial progress. But now the Executive is being starved of the resources needed to improve safety at work. This is not a question of strategy, it is a simple matter of funding”, said Steve Kay, Prospect HSE branch vice-chair.

The construction sector saw the highest number of workplace deaths, accounting for 31% of all fatal injuries. The total for the year was 241. Given the disturbing increase this year in construction fatalities alone, the union says it is now time to stop the cuts. HSE has already lost over 250 jobs since April 2006 and faces a further 100 job losses in the remaining half of this financial year. It then faces a 15% budget cut by 2011 to meet Treasury efficiency targets.

Since 2002, HSE has lost over 1,000 posts as a result of government spending cuts: the organisation now employs fewer than 3,250 staff. In the forthcoming comprehensive spending review, the Department for Work and Pensions, HSE’s parent department, has already accepted cuts of 15% below the rate of inflation for the three years from 2008 – 2011. If transferred to HSE this level of cuts would result in over 500 more job losses.

HSE’s guidance on the investigation of major injuries was tightened in 2004 in response to resource constraints; it now excludes injuries such as the loss of fingertips from formal investigation.

Source: Prospect, Unite