Open AWE Magazine menu
Subscribe Login

Home / Articles and Press Releases / Press Release / UK Government Urged to End Deregulation

CATEGORIES

  • Latest Issue
  • Air Quality
  • Chromatography
  • Construction
  • Climate Change
  • Emissions
  • Environmental & Monitoring Technology
  • Gas Detection
  • Health and Safety Awareness
  • Humidity & Temperature
  • Laboratory Testing
  • Land Remediation
  • Marine Pollution
  • Noise Monitoring
  • Regulations & Legislations
  • Sludge and Biosolids
  • Soil Analysis
  • Spectroscopy
  • Weather Monitoring
  • Water Analysis
  • Water Monitoring

MORE

  • Press Releases
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Magazines
  • Webinar Sign Up

COMPANY

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
HSI White logo
Open AWE Magazine menu
Subscribe

Home / Articles and Press Releases / Press Release / UK Government Urged to End Deregulation

CATEGORIES

  • Latest Issue
  • Air Quality
  • Chromatography
  • Construction
  • Climate Change
  • Emissions
  • Environmental & Monitoring Technology
  • Gas Detection
  • Health and Safety Awareness
  • Humidity & Temperature
  • Laboratory Testing
  • Land Remediation
  • Marine Pollution
  • Noise Monitoring
  • Regulations & Legislations
  • Sludge and Biosolids
  • Soil Analysis
  • Spectroscopy
  • Weather Monitoring
  • Water Analysis
  • Water Monitoring

MORE

  • Press Releases
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Magazines
  • Webinar Sign Up

COMPANY

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Newsletter
  • Contact

CATEGORIES

  • Heat and Flame
  • Press Release|Gas Detection
  • Article
  • Press Release
  • Air Quality
  • Chromatography
  • Construction
  • Climate Change
  • Emissions
  • Environmental & Monitoring Technology
  • Gas Detection
  • Health and Safety Awareness
  • Humidity & Temperature
  • Laboratory Testing
  • Land Remediation
  • Marine Pollution
  • Noise Monitoring
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Regulations & Legislations
  • Sludge and Biosolids
  • Soil Analysis
  • Spectroscopy
  • Weather Monitoring
  • Water Analysis
  • Water Monitoring
  • Wellbeing at work

Press Release

UK Government Urged to End Deregulation

By IOSH

| Read Bio

Published: June 21st, 2017

Share this article

The UK Government has been urged to scrap its approach to deregulation of health and safety legislation in light of the Grenfell Tower blaze.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, over 70 leading organisations and figures from the UK’s safety and health profession have jointly called for a political sea change in attitude towards health and safety regulation and fire risk management following the tragedy.

The collective has also pressed the Government to complete its review of Part B of the Building Regulations 2010 – the regulations which cover fire safety within and around buildings in England – as a matter of urgency, and to include a focus on improved safety in the forthcoming Parliament.

The letter is signed by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Park Health & Safety, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the British Safety Council.

“we urge all politicians to re-emphasise the need for effective health and safety regulation and competent fire risk management”

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM), National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Unite the union have also given it their backing, alongside senior health and safety professionals.

“We believe it is totally unacceptable for residents, members of the public and our emergency services to be exposed to this level of preventable risk in modern-day Britain,” the letter states.

“At this crucial time of national reflection and sorrow, we urge all politicians to re-emphasise the need for effective health and safety regulation and competent fire risk management. These are fundamental to saving lives and sustaining our communities.

“We believe it is vital that this disaster marks a turning point for improved fire safety awareness and wider appreciation that good health and safety is an investment, not a cost.”

In calling on the UK Government to complete its review of Part B of The Building Regulations 2010, the signatories add: “Together, we offer our organisations’ support in undertaking the review – we all have valuable links to experts in this area who can advise on best regulatory outcomes. In the meantime, we welcome the Government’s commitment to act and to implement the interim findings of the forthcoming public inquiry.

“You have it in your power to remove immediately a further risk to people at work and outside of the workplace – unwise deregulation – which threatens public and worker safety.

“We, leaders in health and safety in the UK, call on you to scrap the Government’s approach to health and safety deregulation and think again.”

The open letter, in full, is as follows:

Dear Prime Minister,

There have, understandably, been strong public reactions to the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower and its tragic consequences – the largest civilian loss of life from a single event in the UK since the Hillsborough disaster.

The occupational safety and health community is deeply saddened and disturbed by the Grenfell Tower fire and all the lives it claimed. We believe it is totally unacceptable for residents, members of the public and our emergency services to be exposed to this level of preventable risk in modern-day Britain.

Central Government and the Kensington and Chelsea local authority share responsibility for building standards and their enforcement locally, as well as for the funding and management of the maintenance of social housing. These responsibilities must be backed up with good, essential regulations.

However, for many years, Ministers and others with influence over them have called for, including in health and safety, regulations to be axed as a matter of principle. Arbitrary rules were imposed to establish deregulation of health and safety, such as a requirement to abolish two health and safety regulations (and more recently, three) for any new one adopted.

This mind-set has meant that, even when it was recommended and accepted that mandatory fitting of sprinklers would make homes or schools safer, this was rejected in favour of non-regulatory action. In practice, this approach favours inaction.

Good, well-evidenced and proportionate regulations in health and safety, based on full consultation, are developed and adopted because they save lives and protect people’s health and wellbeing. They are not “burdens on business” but provide essential protection for the public from identifiable risks.

At this crucial time of national reflection and sorrow, we urge all politicians to re-emphasise the need for effective health and safety regulation and competent fire risk management. These are fundamental to saving lives and sustaining our communities.

We believe it is vital that this disaster marks a turning point for improved fire safety awareness and wider appreciation that good health and safety is an investment, not a cost.

We call on the Government to accelerate and confirm the timeframe for completing its review of Part B of The Building Regulations 2010 and to include a focus on improved safety in the forthcoming Parliament.

Together, we offer our organisations’ support in undertaking the review – we all have valuable links to experts in this area who can advise on best regulatory outcomes. In the meantime, we welcome the Government’s commitment to act and to implement the interim findings of the forthcoming public inquiry.

You have it in your power to remove immediately a further risk to people at work and outside of the workplace – unwise deregulation – which threatens public and worker safety.

We, leaders in health and safety in the UK, call on you to scrap the Government’s approach to health and safety deregulation and think again. This could be announced immediately, it does not need to await the results of a public inquiry, and is the least that the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire deserve.

Yours sincerely,

Park Health and Safety

Lawrence Waterman OBE

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)

Graham Parker, President

Bev Messinger, Chief Executive

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)

Errol Taylor, Acting Chief Executive

British Safety Council

Lynda Armstrong OBE, Chair

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive

Also supported by:

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)

Anne Godfrey, Chief Executive

Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)

Peter Crosland, Civil Engineering Director

International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM)

Siobhan Donnelly, President

Phillip Pearson, Chief Executive

National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)

Teresa Budworth, Chief Executive

Trades Union Congress (TUC)

Hugh Robertson, Senior Health and Safety Officer

Unite the union

Susan Murray, National Health and Safety Adviser

Stephen Asbury CFIOSH, James Barnes BSc (Hons) LFOH, Karen Baxter CMIOSH, Roger Bibbings MBE, Joe Brannigan LLB (hons) DipLP PgDip Construction Law CMIOSH, Melanie Boucher, MSc CMIOSH, David Brown RSP FIIRSM DipNEBOSH MIOSH MILM, Professor Neil Budworth MSc CFIOSH FIIRSM HonFFOM, Dr Tim Carter, Iris Cepero, Editor, Safety Management Magazine,

Professor John Cherrie PhD CFFOH, Arnold Clements BSc, MSc CMIOSH CEng MEI, Philip J Cullen BSc (Hons) CMIOSH, Declan Davis CMIOSH, Brian Donnachie BA (Hons) CMIOSH, Phil Dyson-Hurrell MIIRSM, Coenraad Fourie, Lisa Fowlie MSc BSc CFIOSH FIIRSM, Shelley Frost BSc (Hons), Post Grad DipOHS, Executive Director – Policy, IOSH, Professor Alistair Gibb PhD CEng MICE MCIOB, Loughborough University, Melodie Gilbert, Dr David Gold PhD CMIOSH, Chair, IOSH Fire Risk Management Group, Robert Hackett, Neil Hancox CMIOSH, Managing Director, Safety Intervention Services, Anne Harris, Cllr Ali Hashem,

Andy Hawkes, Deputy President, IIRSM, Angela Hayden CFIOSH, Clinton Horn CFIOSH, Andrew Hoskins MSc CMIOSH FIIRSM PIEMA, Chris Hughes BSc, LTT Consultancy, Ian Hughes MSc BSc (Hons) Cert Ed Dip2OSH SPDipEM CMIOSH, Kelvin Hughes CMIOSH, Dr Roberta Jacobson OBE, Clive Johnson, Council Member, IIRSM, Ann Jones MBE CFIOSH, Wayne Jones, Chair, Cardiff & South East Wales Occupational Health and Safety Group,

Wendy Jones, Martin Lovegrove CMIOSH MIIRSM PIEMA, James McDonald BSc CMIOSH MREHIS, Denis Murphy CMIOSH MIIRSM RMaPS, Cllr Caroline Needham, John O’Keeffe CMIOSH, Shirley Parsons MSc CMIOSH, Louise Phillipson, Stu Pollard BSc, PgCert CMIOSH, Ian Rabett CMIOSH, Dylan Roberts, Angela Rudkin Tech IOSH, Mike Salmon MSc, CFIOSH, Jonathan Schifferes MA, Jim Senior CMIOSH, Phil Sidman MIFE, MIFPO,

Karl Simons MSc MIoD CMIOSH, Dr Susan Tannahill CMIOSH, Mohammad Torabi BSc MSc MA CMIOSH, Ceiran Trow CMFOH, Graham Twigg MSc CMIOSH PIEMA, Michelle Twigg MSc CMIOSH, Alex Vaughan, Dr Emma Wadsworth, Cardiff University, Professor David Walters, Cardiff University, Louise Ward BSc (Hons) CMIOSH, Selina Woolcott BSc (Hons) DipOHS CMIOSH

Picture: Copyright of Metropolitan Police

Share this article

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IOSH

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 47,000 members in over 130 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.

Connect with IOSH

Visit Website

POPULAR POSTS BY IOSH

Press Release

UK Government Called to Support Diesel Campaign

Press Release

UK Government Urged to End Deregulation

Press Release

IOSH launches new environment course

Get email updates

Sign up for the AWE newsletter

Keep up-to-date through the power of email and receive the latest environmental monitoring product information and newsletter emails from AWE - Monitoring and Analysing the Impact of Industry on the Environment

"*" indicates required fields

Country
*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FEATURED ARTICLES

Press Release

Blackline Safety and NevadaNano Reach Milestone in Deployment of Industry-First Sensors

Press Release

The Benefits of Using Refurbished Parts in Your Lab

Advertisement

SOCIAL MEDIA

AWE on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AWEIMagazine/

Advertisement

SOCIAL MEDIA

AWE on Twitter

Avatar AWE International Magazine @aweimagazine ·
52m

What can you expect from our gas detection summit?

This briefing will allow you to connect and engage with industry experts from the comfort of your home or office.

Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4116794789968/WN_m7lbVevnQRiAHDK6KkxX-g

#aweinternational #GasDetectionSummit #summit #gasdetection #gassafety

Reply on Twitter 1641018210278318081 Retweet on Twitter 1641018210278318081 Like on Twitter 1641018210278318081 Twitter 1641018210278318081

Advertisement

SUBSCRIBE

Stay up to date with our newsletter

    • Keep up-to-date with Europe’s largest audited environmental monitoring magazine

 

    • Delivering the latest information on new products and emerging technologies related to industrial environmental monitoring.

 

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Subscribe

SUBSCRIBE TO AWE MAGAZINE

5 reasons to subscribe to our digital and print package

  • Stay up to date from anywhere in the world, with instant access to the latest issue straight from your phone, tablet or laptop.
  • Trust that you’re getting the best content from our range of internationally accredited authors.
  • Get full access to our archives and see how the environmental monitoring landscape has evolved with us over the years.
  • Enjoy our monthly newsletter curated with up-to-the-minute news and a selection of editor’s top picks.
  • Hot off the press and straight to your door – look forward to your own glossy copy of AWE, delivered five times a year
Subscribe View Subscription levels

STAY SAFE & INFORMED

Subscribe to the latest environmental monitoring articles, news, products and regulations

Find out more

Stay up to date with our newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

ABOUT

  • About AWE
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

YOUR ACCOUNT

Sign In Register Account Subscribe to AWE

RESOURCES

Request Media Pack

CONNECT

ACCREDITATIONS

Copyright Bay Publishing 2023. All Rights reserved.

Designed & Built by:
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT