Workplace health to be a 'national enforcement priority'

The priorities and further recommendations made by Peter Rogers, chief executive of Westminster Council, were accepted today "in full" by Chancellor Gordon Brown in his Budget statement.

The Cabinet Office said that a national approach to regulatory enforcement would allow for "greater concentration on the most important issues", as well as a more "proportionate approach to low risk issues".

Other national enforcement priorities were; improving air quality; alcohol, entertainment and late night licensing; hygiene of businesses selling, distributing and manufacturing food and the safety and fitness of food; and fair trading, covering issues such as trade description, trade marking, mis-description and doorstep selling.

Issues 'sifted'

The priorities for local authorities emerged from a review of 61 policy areas led by Peter Rogers - known as the Rogers Review - which were then "sifted" using a "risk-based approach".

Basically, these policy areas were categorised as either "national enforcement priorities", "potential local priorities" or "non-priorities".

Health and safety issues making into the "potential local priorities" grouping were product safety, work-related transport safety and work-related slips, trips and falls. Issues listed as "non-priorities" following the Rogers Review included - vehicle safety, packaging and empty properties.

Peter Rogers said today: "For the first time enforcement priorities have been based on the evidence of risk. For those of us in local government, who make day-to-day decisions about enforcement, these priorities will help us best protect the health of our citizens and businesses' prosperity.

"A consistent approach to regulatory enforcement by local authorities will help us tackle the biggest risks nationally as well as helping those who are regulated know what is expected of them wherever they are."

Best practice

The Review chose workplace health as a national enforcement priority not just because of the pain and distress caused to workers, but also because of the economic impact of absenteeism.

According to the report published today, around 560,000 workers per year experience an illness or ill-health condition caused or made worse by their work in local authority-enforced sectors.

The aim will be to reduce ill-health and days lost arising from work activities in relation to musculoskeletal disorders, stress and chemicals by promoting compliance with laws such as the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

Local 'Better Regulation Offices' will develop and disseminate best practice to help local authorities focus on these priorities, and will also draw up advice on minimum levels of enforcement and reporting requirements for policy areas that are not priorities.

It is expected that the national and local priorities will be reviewed every three years, with decisions based on "risk, public and business perception and political priority."

The Rogers Review report 'National enforcement priorities for local authority regulatory services', can be downloaded from the Cabinet Office website - link above/right.