Early day motion submitted against H&S deregulation

An Early Day Motion (EDM) is calling for the Government to strengthen rather than reduce current health and safety regulation.

The motion, launched by John McDonnell, argues that there is no evidence to support cutting back on health and safety and that through the current system the true number of people dying through work related ill health each year is never revealed.

The EDM states:

“That this House notes that according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2008-09, 1.2 million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work, 180 workers were killed at work and 131,895 other workplace injuries were reported; recognises that the real figures are likely to be much higher given that many work-related fatalities are filtered out from the HSE's headline statistics, that the number of occupational disease deaths each year is never published and that ill-health estimates miss entire categories of common occupational diseases and underestimate others; deeply regrets therefore that people are still dying, being seriously injured or made ill simply as a result of carrying out their day to day job, often as a result of health and safety failings by employers; further notes the estimated cost of around £30bn per year to the economy of poor workplace health and safety and that this burden is borne heavily by workers and their families; believes there is no evidence to support cutting back on health and safety regulation but instead that the current system of prevention and enforcement needs bolstering; reaffirms the right of all workers to work in a safe and healthy workplace; and therefore calls on the Government to reject calls for deregulation and instead look to strengthen the current legislative framework and ensure that the HSE is adequately resourced in order to stop more people dying or receiving injuries unnecessarily.”

John McDonnell is a Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington.