Workers 'put at risk by decade of cuts' says Highland MSP
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Highland MSP Rhoda Grant has pointed out that a decade of Government cuts is putting workers at risk across Scotland, at a time when safety is at the forefront of employees’ minds because of the coronavirus, new research shows.
Across Scotland's councils, which share responsibility for enforcing safety at work with the Health and Safety Executive, the number of inspectors has fallen by 42 per cent since 2010 from 96 to 56.
Over the same period, the total staff employed by the Health and Safety Executive in Scotland has fallen by 41, a cut of 16 per cent. This includes a fall of 13 in the number of full time equivalent health and safety inspectors.
Local authorities and the HSE do not have the resources they need to adequately carry out physical inspections and provide support to workers and employers.
The coronavirus crisis and the lack of a functioning test, track and isolate system mean the need for workplace inspections is even more urgent.
Government funding for the HSE nationally has been slashed by more than half, the number of inspectors has dropped by more than one third, there have been 30 per cent fewer enforcement notices, a 62 per cent fall in prosecutions and a 50 per cent drop in convictions. Spending on health and safety by local authorities has also fallen by over 40 per cent.
On average, employers will only see an inspector once every 275 years. But a majority of workers say spot inspections should be conducted in person, and key workers whose work is affected by the coronavirus have identified health and safety as their biggest concern.
As Scottish Labour’s employment spokesperson, Mrs Grant, said: “This is a disturbing insight into the real safety issues faced by workers as a direct consequence of years of government cuts.
“At a time of such anxiety about public health, and as many of us begin to return to work, there must be confidence among workers that the people who should be employed to ensure their safety are actually able to do their job safely and comprehensively.
“Although jurisdiction over the Health and Safety Executive is reserved to Westminster, the Scottish Government must work through the Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland to ensure that councils and the HSE have the resources they need to keep workers safe.”
UK Labour shadow minister for employment rights and protections Imran Hussein said: “A decade of Tory cuts has hollowed out the capacity to inspect, identify and act on dangerous breaches of safety at work. Without enforcement, the laws protecting workers are not worth the paper they are written on."
