The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has called on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) not to water down but to implement in full a European Directive to prevent so-called ‘sharp injuries’.
APIL was responding to a HSE consultation on the subject. In its response, APIL stated that the draft regulations were ambiguous and contained loopholes which may leave some workers unprotected.
“If, as proposed, the regulations only apply to an employer whose ‘main activity’ is healthcare, then an organisation which provides healthcare services as well as services in other sectors, like aviation for instance, may be exempt from the regulations altogether,” said APIL president Karl Tonks. “Surely this would undermine the entire point of having regulations in the first place, as they are meant to ensure people’s safety across the board.
“It’s a huge disappointment that the draft regulations fall so short of the European Directive. But this is the latest example of the Government’s attitude towards health and safety which is more about cutting what is perceived to be red tape than ensuring people’s safety.”