For many years the TUC has been arguing that successive governments have abandoned the health aspect of health and safety. Over 70% of work-related absence is a result of stress or musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain, while, even by the HSE’s own statistics, there are 12,000 deaths every year as a result of occupational…
Yesterday the Government published their response to a report from the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee into pregnancy and maternity discrimination. Quite a bit of that original report was about health and safety and, amongst other things, the Committee had said that employers should be required to undertake an individual risk assessment when…
There is a brand new resource available from today for anyone who wants to consider how to make their workplace safer through building a strong union. Last year the TUC published a guide to organising and health and safety. It gave simple, straightforward advice to help you use health and safety arguments to achieve an…
The European Commission have finally released details of what they are proposing to do on health and safety regulation in the coming years. Yesterday they released a communication which contained their response to a review of all 24 European health and safety directives that was produced in 2015, but has only just been published. You…
“Stone” worktops in kitchens are becoming very fashionable in Britain, yet how many people know that they are killing the workers who make or install them? I only found out it because I ordered a new kitchen last month and it included a stone worktop. A week or so later, I was at a meeting…
The Government are planning to change the rules for compensation claims that would make it much more difficult for workers to get the money they are entitled to when their employer’s negligence injures them or makes them ill. When compensation claims go to court, some of them are deal with as “small claims”. If a…
Last month the Government appointed an employer to represent workers on the HSE board. This totally undermined the principle of an equal voice for employers and workers that is enshrined in the Health and Safety at Work Act. The decision caused uproar, with unions, politicians and even a lot of outside observers roundly condemning it.…