IOSH responds to PM's attack on health and safety

5 January 2012

IOSH has hit back at the UK Prime Minister’s comments today (Thursday 5 January) in which he labelled health and safety as a ‘monster’.

David Cameron said his new year’s resolution was to “kill off the health and safety culture for good”, accusing legislation of becoming an “albatross around the neck of British businesses” and claiming health and safety laws cost them billions of pounds a year.

IOSH slammed the comments and the Institution’s head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones, said: “Labelling workplace health and safety as a monster is appalling and unhelpful, as the reason our legislative system exists is to prevent death, injury or illness at work, protecting livelihoods in the process.

“The problem identified by the Government’s own reviews is not the law, but rather, exaggerated fear of being sued, fed by aggressive marketing.”

During his talk to an audience of small businesses at a PM Direct event in Maidenhead, Berkshire today, the Prime Minister said: “I don't think there's any one single way you can cut back the health and safety monster.

"But the key about health and safety is not just the rules, the laws and regulations - it's also the culture of fear many businesses have about health and safety."

He also revealed that he has requested the Health and Safety Executive to bring forward its timetable for abolishing or consolidating up to half of all existing regulations to the end of 2012. This comes just weeks after Professor Ragnar Lofstedt suggested that the cuts should be made over three years in his review of UK health and safety legislation – launched in November last year.

Commenting on the change, Richard added: “Though we’re about to see lots of streamlining and merging of regulations, which we welcome, it’s important people understand that the essential duties will remain. It’s also vital that the review process isn’t unduly rushed, which could lead to mistakes and lowered standards – we’re concerned the timeline seems to be getting shorter and shorter.

“And we’d reiterate that only simplification of the laws is necessary. It’s difficult to see how the Government will reduce the number by half without increasing the risk of injury and ill-health not just to workers, but the general public.”

Cameron’s announcement also revealed plans to cap the amount which can be earned by lawyers from small-value personal injury claims against employers and to reduce overall costs in cases funded by "no-win no-fee" deals. He also added that the Government would be taking self-employed people out of much of health and safety regulation.

Richard added: “We’d urge that our UK self-employed working population shouldn’t be exempt from the protection the law currently affords them. They aren’t all involved solely with desk work, some are in construction, others are home-based hairdressers, and removing them from the protection they are currently afforded contradicts the development of a common sense-led, risk savvy society. They need to just manage their risks sensibly, like everyone else.”