Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents outlines support for HSE UK

law.
RoSPA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, is pleased that the
recommendations and conclusions to the UK law review mirrored some of the points it
made when providing evidence to the review, and that the government review
concluded that the HSE should be preserved to prevent fatal accidents at wor,
personal in!uries and industrial diseases"
#he charity said it particularly favours maintaining the HSE$s functions as the lead
organisation for the development of guidance and standards, the promotion of research
into health and safety, and the liaison with other organisations to improve public health
by raising sills and competencies in accident prevention"
RoSPA %ccupational Safety Advisor Roger &ibbings said the organisation is pleased that
the review was une'uivocal in its support for retaining the HSE as a non(departmental
public body )*+P&, that will wor at arm$s(length from the government and will
regulate worplace safety and health issues"
He argued that the review team, led by -artin #emple, chairman for the Engineering
Employers$ .ederation, has actually come up with a series of recommendations that
could improve the e/ectiveness and e0ciency of the HSE"
Some of the conclusions of the triennial UK law review include1
( Ending the $.ee for 2ntervention$ cost(recovery process, which has damaged
business$ relationships with, and perceptions of, worplace safety inspectors
( +eveloping closer lins between the HSE, local authorities and government
departments
( +eveloping a new approach to understand the impact and performance of the
HSE
( Recommending enhancing the HSE board$s e/ectiveness
( Using new media in a smarter way to improve communication with small and
medium(si3ed enterprises
( 2ncreasing the enforcement process$ speed
( Providing the HSE with an increased focus on worplace health damage
( 4iving the HSE a more active role in the European Union
The review also recommended opposing the privatisation of the HSE - providing the health and
safety body with a profit motive may see its effectiveness and independence suffer. Nonetheless,
Minister of State for the epartment for !or" and #ensions Minister Mi"e #enning said in a written
#arliamentary statement that there is $considerable potential$ for the HSE to ta"e a more commercial
approach to both its delivery and its outloo".
He confirmed that he has as"ed the HSE to loo" into its commercial opportunities, and that the
government is to respond to the HSE%s conclusions later in &'().
This meant that although the results of the *+ law review into the HSE were largely welcomed, its
response to this review provo"ed criticism. ,onstruction union *,-TT called the plans for
commercialisation $disgusting$, with .eneral Secretary Steve Murphy claiming wor"ers will be
$sic"ened$ by these proposals.
The /nstitute of Employment 0ights said that while Mr Temple said the HSE should remain a N#1,
Mr #enning%s statements indicate that some "ind of privatisation will occur in the immediate future,
and that the *+ law review%s conclusions will be $largely ignored$.
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