The report by Lord Young to the Prime Minister on his review of health and safety and compensation, Common sense, Common safety, may have passed many HR practitioners by – see www.number10.gov.uk/wp-content/…/402906_CommonSense_acc.pdf. Although many of the proposals concern measures designed to reduce the complexities and burden of our current health and safety framework some will, inevitably, have an impact on HR practitioners.
The proposal to extend the current reporting requirements for accidents and injuries from three days at present to seven days is viewed by government as much as a contribution to reducing burdens on business as it is exempting employers from risk assessments for home workers working in a low hazard environment. These proposed changes to our health and safety framework will not alter the reality, that is, the legal duty on employers to guard the health and safe of their workers will remain.
The goal of our society to prevent workplace injuries, eliminate ill-health occurrences and reduce days lost must not be lost sight of.
