EEF: New H&S laws not needed

The plea follows a survey which, says EEF, shows a substantial increase in the number of directors taking a leading role in their companies' health & safety management. Under pressure to introduce new duties on company directors, HSE has given employers until 2010 to demonstrate that the current approach works or face a change in the law. According to the survey, directors in eight out of 10 companies are already actively involved in managing health and safety. In addition, in the last three years there had been a 40% rise in the number of company boards who monitor health and safety management as part of their Key Performance Indicators. Steve Pointer, Head of Health and Safety Policy at EEF, said the survey showed that the current approach did work clearly demonstrated that further regulation was not required. “The law already allows directors or managers to be held to account if their personal actions put someone at risk. Adding specific requirements such as appointment of single director to be charged with managing health & safety could only be counter-productive. It would send a message that fellow directors can forget all about health and safety, which would be disastrous,” he went on. On the whole companies were positive about their contact with the enforcing authority. Responses to EEF’s survey did not support the popular stereotype of inspectors as unreasonable and difficult to deal with. The survey did reveal some common concerns about the way in which requirements impact in practice. Around half of businesses believe requirements involve excessive bureaucracy with a similar proportion concerned about the up-front costs involved. Pointer said EEF also remained very concerned about new EU directives that, if implemented would impose considerable bureaucratic burdens for no discernable benefit in terms of protection.