Poor enforcement by local authorities exposed

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Enforcement of workplace safety by local authorities is erratic, and in some cases non-existent. That's the conclusion of Safety Lottery, a report for public sector union Unison by the Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA). The report shows how the level of enforcement of health and safety depends on where you work.

Local authority environmental health departments are responsible for safety law in a far greater number of workplaces than the HSE. London authorities just aren't employing enough officers to do the job. Lambeth, Lewisham and Hillingdon are in the lowest ten authorities for the number of officers enforcing safety law. No London authority comes in the top ten. Hillingdon and Lewisham have less than one enforcement officer working on safety.

Redbridge is the second worst nationally for visits to premises and third lowest in visiting larger premises such as warehouses, wholesalers and fuel depots. Figures for inspections of premises put Lewisham, Redbridge and Lambeth in the bottom ten nationally, with Lambeth making none at all.

Bromley did well in investigating all of its 174 RIDDOR reportable injuries. Hounslow only investigated 10%, Bexley 6%, Waltham Forest 5% and Westminster 3%.

The CCA findings substantiate comments by Bill Callaghan, chair of the Health and Safety Commission. Speaking at local government conferences this year, Callaghan called on local authorities to allocate adequate resources for safety law enforcement.

• Safety Lottery is online at www.corporateaccountability.org
• Centre for Corporate Accountability, 020 7490 4494, 197/199 City Road, EC1V 1JN.

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