HSE denies money spinning under FFI

Inspectors were guided by professional judgement and not profit, the HSE stressed. The assurance came after one site manger complained of "very strange" and "pedantic" behaviour from the HSE since the launch of FFI, which allows the regulator to charge firms £124 an hour where they uncover material breaches. Gordon MacDonald, HSE programme director for FFI said: "When we proposed the scheme we were being criticised over creating a blank cheque book. But that's not the case..That idea that we're going hell for leather doesn't seem to be borne out by the stats." MacDonald cited HSE data that showed 25-30% of HSE inspections had found material breaches since FFI launched in October. The figure was below HSE estimates, he added. However, frontline accounts accused HSE officials of switching to an "enforcement first" approach. A site manager, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I am becoming increasingly concerned at the HSE's stance, which has resulted in two fairly challenging and pedantic visits over the last nine months." The manufacturer explained how he challenged an HSE inspector to explain what was behind the more aggressive approach. "His reply, although non committal, leads me to believe that HSE inspectors are being measured on a set of performance indicators of which the number of improvement notices issued could be one." MacDonald refuted the suggestion. "There are no such targets at an organisation level or individual level," he said. FFI was a legitimate means for HSE to recover regulatory costs where businesses were found to be in clear breach of the law, MacDonald stressed. "If you comply with the law, you don't face any costs," he added. FFI was introduced following HSE budget cuts of 35% announced in the 2010 comprehensive spending review. Have HSE inspections changed in attitude since October 2012? Tell us your experiences at mgosney@findlay.co.uk