This week Lord Young addressed the Conservative Party Conference about the operation of health and safety laws. Britain has one of the lowest incidences in Europe of accidents and deaths in the workplace. He concluded that the regulations in place, in relation to the construction and heavy industries, work well. In Lord Young’s view it is the overzealous application of these regulations in relation to non hazardous activities that creates the problem.
Employers, managers and head teachers, he said, are driven by a fear of being sued and not by a desire to prevent accidents. Lord Young was especially critical of the untrained and inexperienced “health and safety” consultants, employed by small businesses that recommend disproportionate safety measures. These businesses follow the recommendations of these unqualified consultants in the belief that compliance is a requirement of the terms of their insurance. This results in ludicrous policies such as the refusal of a restaurant to provide customers with toothpicks. Whilst we welcome a review of the practices of insurance firms and health and safety consultants had it not been for the enforcement of our health and safety laws by judges in personal injury cases up and down the country perhaps we wouldn’t have one of the lowest incidences in Europe of accidents and deaths in the workplace.
Read more about Hart Brown's personal injury department here
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