'Lives put at risk' by Cable's red tape cuts, say unions

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Trade unions have lashed out at the government's announcement that routine health and safety inspections on thousands of UK businesses are to be abolished.

Revealed on Monday, ministers said that from April 2013 companies not operating in high risk industries will no longer be subject to routine safety checks in a bid to remove the impact of burdensome regulations.

But Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said that lives will be put at risk by this regressive step.

"The government will have blood on its hands if these dangerous cuts go through," he added. "Health and safety is not an unnecessary piece of bureaucracy; it helps to save lives and improve the health and wellbeing of workers in all workplaces. We urge the government to rethink quickly before any damage is done."

Meanwhile, Trades Union Congress general secretary Brendan Barber said that the UK is facing an occupational health epidemic: "Health and safety regulation is not a burden on business, it is a basic protection for workers. Cutting back on regulation and inspections will lead to more injuries and deaths as result of poor safety at work."

Prospect negotiator Mike Macdonald said the move smacks of jumping on the health and safety bashing bandwagon.

"The government's own advisor Lord Young highlighted how damaging to perceptions of health and safety scurrilous stories are. Yet Vince Cable is clearly using the technique to mislead UK SMEs. Far from being an albatross round the neck of business, research shows that a safe and healthy workforce is more efficient and productive."

In contrast, the move to reduce the burden of red tape was welcomed by business groups.

The Confederation of British Industry's chief policy director Katja Hall said: "Given that half of firms say health and safety checks are a burden, and they are disproportionately costly for smaller firms, freeing low-risk businesses from tick-box inspections makes obvious sense."

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"Given that half of firms say health and safety checks are a burden, and they are disproportionately costly for smaller firms, freeing low-risk businesses from tick-box inspections makes obvious sense."

What a crock of s**t.
The average gap between general HSE inspections is 12 to 14 years.
That's a real burden on smaller firms,i wonder how they manage.