‘More action needed’ over workplace health risks

Nick Elvin

July 31 was the 40th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 coming into force.

To mark the occasion, the British Safety Council has praised the Act’s role in helping to improve the regulation and management of workplace health and safety – but has said even more could be done to protect workers.

The council highlights the creation of an independent and unified regulator – the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the duty placed on all employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all of their employees, and the active involvement of employers and trade unions as major factors in reducing workplace injuries and illnesses over the last four decades.

Alex Botha, chief executive of the British Safety Council, said: “We have seen an 80% plus reduction in fatal injuries in our workplaces. At the heart of the 1974 Act is the principle that those who create the risk of injury and ill health in the workplace must manage the risks. The 1974 legislation has attracted admiration and emulation across the globe and provided the model for many other regulators.

“Going forward, we need a legal framework that is flexible and one that can adapt to changing risks. We cannot stand still. There remains so much to do including tackling the thorny issues around health and wellbeing – the sometimes forgotten part of the health and safety equation. The British Safety Council and its members are confident that the 1974 Act can continue to play a role in meeting present and future challenges.”

Lawrence Waterman, director of health and safety at Battersea Power Station and trustee of the British Safety Council, echoed the importance of not overlooking health issues.

“About ten times as many workers are damaged and their lives shortened by exposure to health risks than in accidents,” he said. “Despite this, for too long we have shouted safety but whispered health. Now health is coming into focus, action is being taken and the necessary changes are starting to happen.

“If health and safety is seen as a mark of civilised values and community benefit, despite the current fashion for deregulation, we can look forward to the next 40 years with confidence.”