Safety inspections hit a new low

Number of safety inspections carried out in the UK has plummeted to a new low, greatly increasing the chances of workers being killed, made ill or injured at work.

The number of safety inspections carried out in the UK has plummeted to a new low, greatly increasing the chances of workers being killed, made ill or injured at work.

The TUC-backed health and safety journal Hazards from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have published figures that show that in the three years from 2002/03, visits to firms by safety inspectors dropped by over a quarter, down from over 74,000 a year to barely 55,000 in 2004/05.

The Hazards report says that UK employers are now less likely to be inspected, less likely to be prosecuted, less likely to be convicted of safety crimes, and less likely to receive a notice from an HSE inspector demanding safety improvements.

The number of employers taken to court for committing safety offences against their staff also fell dramatically.

In 2003/04, HSE took legal action against 960 firms but in 2004/05 this figure had fallen to just 712 prosecutions.

With more than 30,000 fatal or major injuries being reported to the HSE that year, in 2004/05 employers had a one in 40 chance of being prosecuted following major accidents in their workplace.

Employer convictions for safety crimes also fell from 887 to 673, and the number of prohibition or safety improvement notices issued to companies or organisations by the HSE fell from 11,295 to 8,445 Commenting on the figures, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said, "We know that inspections and prosecutions are the most effective way to stop employers from breaking the law.

Whilst good employers have nothing to fear from inspections, rogue bosses have never before enjoyed such freedom to neglect safety rules.

Negligent employers who risk their employees' health and safety can now do so safe in the knowledge that the HSE inspector is only likely to come calling once every 13 years.

"There is a real danger the UK's safety record will get worse unless the HSE devotes more resources to carrying out a greater number of more effective inspections.

With visits and prosecutions at a new low, there is no incentive for employers to tighten up on safety and as a result more workers are likely to die, be made ill or injured at work".

Hazards Editor Rory O'Neill said, "Breaking safety laws is a crime with possible life or death consequences.

Safety criminals should be policed, caught and prosecuted.

Tens of thousands die each year as a result of entirely preventable diseases caused by their work, with possibly 24,000 deaths annually from work-related cancers alone.

HSE resisted handing over the enforcement figures for several months, and you can see why.

However HSE dresses it up, fewer inspections amount to less justice.".

Back to top