Do Not Reduce Health And Safety Regulations, TUC Warns

The government has been urged by the TUC to ignore calls from business to reduce health and safety "red tape". This was after a report from the union body revealed that at least 20,000 people - the equivalent of the entire population of the Orkney Islands - die early because of their work each year, from illnesses such as occupational cancers and lung disorders, exposure to chemicals and fumes, and fatal car accidents.

The report found that many workers also received injuries at work, pointing to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that while 246,000 injuries from workplace accidents last year ought to have been reported, many accidents went unreported or not reported correctly.

The Case for Health and Safety report found that 1.2 million working people in the UK believed themselves to be suffering from illnesses relating to their work. These include stress, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders such as shoulder, back and neck pain, as well as mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

The report disputed claims - which have led to calls from business for health and safety regulations or "red tape" to be reduced - that the workplace has become much safer now than it ever was.

The TUC has called on the Government to: ignore calls from the business lobby for the reduction of regulation and enforcement; champion this issue and appoint a Government "tsar" for health and safety; use the UK network of 150, 000 union health and safety representatives to greater effect; and support the work of the HSE and local authorities in protecting people at work.

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary said: "Despite the way that health and safety is often pilloried, for those who are made ill or injured in workplace accidents and for the relatives of those who have died as a result of their work, health and safety is no joke.

"Regulation works, as long as it is enforced, and it saves lives and prevents the contraction of unnecessary illnesses. That is why the UK continues to need strong regulation and enforcement. Every one of the 20,000 annual workplace-related deaths could have been prevented, and if the level of HSE and local authority funding is cut, the effects will be even more catastrophic.

"Fatalities are not just statistics - they are real people, with lives and families - and any fall in inspections and enforcement will lead to an increase in accidents, injuries and deaths, and will have a huge impact on the already grave problem of workplace diseases. - 39468