This is our final piece on Professor Löfstedt’s report to Goverment, which covers the remaining key issues.
That HSE should review all its ACoPs.
Given that resources at the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have been dramatically reduced recently, this seems a very tall order indeed.
Whilst some Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs) provided by the HSE are difficult to interpret, the majority are an invaluable point of reference and interpretation of the relevant statutory requirements.
What’s more, they are currently free to download from the HSE Books website. We just hope that this review isn’t funded by making these important documents expensive to obtain.
That HSE undertakes a programme of sector-specific consolidations to be completed by April 2015.
This recommendation could lead to the consolidation of a number of regulations relating to specific industries, such as mining or petroleum.
That the original intention of the pre-action protocol standard disclosure list is clarified and restated.
This recommendation could have a significant effect upon the perceived “compensation culture” in the UK and the expectation of financial recompense for any loss or injury suffered.
We expect changes to the protocols for civil claims procedures to make it more likely for insurance companies to challenge claims, thus reducing the quantity and amounts of pay-outs in the future.
Exempting from health and safety law those self-employed whose work activities pose no potential risk of harm to others.
We await with interest the Government’s interpretation of work activities which pose no potential risk of harm to others.
Apart from homeworkers, working within their own home, can we really say that the activities of the self employed have no potential to cause harm to other persons?
If they drive as part of their work, or work in premises where other persons are present, or supply goods and services to other persons, then surely there is a reasonably foreseeable risk to those persons?
Essential
