HSE proposals ‘put business profits before workers’ safety’

Workers could be at risk of recurring injury in a proposed trade-off against business costs, a not-for-profit campaign group has warned.

The warning came after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) closed its consultation on proposals to amend the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) with the aim of employers only having to report more serious injuries which occur in the workplace.

“This step is a real worry because it could make employers more blasé about workers’ safety,” said David Bott, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

The proposals would allow an employer to report an injury which has resulted in a member of staff being absent from work for seven working days or more, rather than the current three. APIL says this would put workers at risk of further injury because important lessons may no longer be learned about the mistakes which have caused an injury in the past.

Mr. Bott went on to say that: “Valuable lessons can be learned by the mistakes of the past. Watering down the rules which help ensure workers’ safety will only expose them to risk of further harm.”