Great Britain: insufficient resources for the Health and Safety Executive

Limited power. Rita Donaghy, former head of the ACAS conciliation service, conducted the study in progress since the beginning of 2009, commissioned by the government. At the heart of the report, entitled “One death is too many” is the lack of resources of the HSE. This organization, in charge of informing, preventing and investigating industrial accidents cruelly lacks funding for its daily tasks, and this has been lasting for years. It “something which we have long raised” a spokesman for UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians) said. “We are concerned about the low number of construction inspectors and the serious falls in enforcement activity, prosecutions and convictions.” In 2008-09, there have been 180 deadly industrial accidents, a figure which is lower than in the past five years (average of 231 deaths) because of the decrease in production. Industrial accidents mainly take place in construction (53 deaths last year).
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struction, Allied Trades and Technicians) said. “We are concerned about the low number of construction inspectors and the serious falls in enforcement activity, prosecutions and convictions.” In 2008-09, there have been 180 deadly industrial accidents, a figure which is lower than in the past five years (average of 231 deaths) because of the decrease in production. Industrial accidents mainly take place in construction (53 deaths last year).


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