Health and safety check concerns
Proposals to limit the number of on-the-spot safety checks carried out in the workplace are being opposed by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
It said the proposals could result in a further increase in deaths and injuries at work, at a time when figures show overall workplace deaths increased by 11% to 241 in 2006/7.
IOSH is also concerned about reductions in Health and Safety Executive (HSE) staff due to budget constraints.
An IOSH spokesman said:
"It's important to remember that just because companies don't report accidents and their workers don't complain to the authorities, this doesn't necessarily mean they're OK."They could be under-reporting and their workers could feel intimidated. In some of the poorest workplaces, an inspector’s visit ‘out of the blue’ may be the workers only hope of improvement."
