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Press Release

We can work with Löfstedt recommendations, says CIEH

29 November 2011

The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH) has given a cautious welcome to the recommendations of Professor Löfstedt report on health and safety legislation.

The CIEH agrees with the Professor's overall conclusion that health and safety requirements in the UK are "broadly fit for purpose", and that the main problem is not with the law itself but with its interpretation and application.

Commenting on the report, Andrew Griffiths, Principal Policy Officer said:
"We are particularly pleased that the report reflects many of the points the CIEH made when we met Professor Löfstedt and his inquiry team - and in the written evidence and submission we put forward.

"We strongly believe that the Health and Safety at Work Act has stood the test of time well and perhaps the most important challenge is to re-establish the reputation of health and safety.

"While media stories may trivialise a lot of legitimate enforcement activity, we should always remember that in terms of occupational health and safety the UK remains one of the safest places in the world to work. As a country we have an enviable and excellent record of reducing workplace deaths.

"We accept the report's recommendations to streamline regulation in order to avoid duplication, while maintaining a robust regulatory framework that does not act as a burden on business.

"Health and safety enforcement should be proportionate and carried out by competent professional regulators."

The CIEH supports Professor Löfstedt's recommendation to make local authority enforcement more consistent. However we believe that it is essential that local authorities are not constrained when needing to take decisive action to deal with health and safety hazards.

Continuing, Andrew Griffiths, said:

"We are pleased that Professor Löfstedt encourages the involvement of professional bodies in the work that will be needed going forward. We accept his analysis that regulatory requirements are misunderstood and applied inappropriately in a number of settings. The CIEH stands ready to take part in co-ordinated, strategic programmes to address this problem."



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