Wanna Argument?
Dying for a job: Avoiding the Blame for Work-Based Fatalities
Is the Health and Safety Executive Geared up to Deal with the Problem?
Ironically, at the same time that legislation was pledged to introduce an offence of corporate killing, plans were announced that, campaigners believe, will cut spending by the HSE by 5% in 2003-04. There will be a loss, through what is known as 'natural wastage', of fifty HSE inspectors next year. These fifty staff are due to retire over the next twelve months, but their positions will not be replaced.
HSE frontline staff work in the Field Operations Division. The loss of fifty inspectors is likely to adversely affect workplace safety; fifty inspectors carry out approximately 10,000 inspections and investigations each year.
The budget decrease comes at a time when the HSE have decreased its level of inspections by 41% in order to compensate for an increase in the level of investigations into reported injuries.