21 October 2004 TUC Report Reveals Lack of Workplace Visits By Health and Safety Inspectors
The survey of the workplaces for the report by the TUC showed that 11% had not been inspected for more than 3 years and visits, which had been made by inspectors, showed many did not speak to union safety representatives. Safety reps, being aware of visits, but had no communication from inspectors whilst on the premises was almost 40%.
Other key findings in the report were as follows:
- Manufacturing companies (49%) and workplaces in the energy and water sectors (47%) were most likely to have been checked in the past year.
- Central government departments (70%) and financial sector firms (61%) were most likely never to have been inspected.
- Larger workplaces were more likely to have an inspector call in the past 12 months, with 40% of safety reps working for companies with more than 1000 employees having had a visit compared to 24% of firms with less than 100 workers.
It was said by Mr Brendan Barber TUC General Secretary,
that employees and members of the public were being put at risk by the lack
of workplace visits.
He also said the fear of an imminent inspection was sufficient to make most
employers get their safety act together, but a visit was becoming a “rare
occurrence”.
Mr Barber also commented:
"If we are serious about improving the UK’s poor workplace safety record, the Government must allocate extra resources to the HSE and local councils to enable them to increase the number of inspectors able to visit companies on a regular basis."
The full report, Focus on Union Reps, will be available next month.
Further details can be accessed by visiting the TUC website: Trades Union Congress - TUC - Britain at work
Article by Alexandra Johnston
