Prime Minister David Cameron’s new years resolution is to “kill off the health and safety culture for good” in the UK.
According to Mr Cameron, the health and safety culture in England has become an “albatross around the neck of British businesses” and has cost the economy millions of pounds.
Speaking at a meeting of small business in Berkshire the PM said, “Talk of ‘health and safety’ can too often sound farcical or marginal. But for British businesses – especially the smaller ones that are so vital to the future of our economy – this is a massively important issue. Every day they battle against a tide of risk assessment forms and face the fear of being sued for massive sums. The financial cost of this culture runs into the billions each year.
“So this coalition has a clear New Year’s resolution: to kill off the health and safety culture for good. I want 2012 to go down in history not just as Olympics year or Diamond Jubilee year, but the year we get a lot of this pointless time-wasting out of the British economy and British life once and for all.”
He announced plans to put a limit on the amount which lawyers can earn through small-value, personal injury cases, and to reduce the overall cost in cases funded by ‘no win no fee’ deals, but said that was just the tip of the ice berg.
“I don’t think there’s any one single way you can cut back the health and safety monster,” said Mr Cameron.
While spokespeople from the Association of British Insurers and insurance companies such as RSA were in favor of the PM’s remarks, not everyone felt the same way.
Richard Jones, head of policy and public affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, branded the comments “appalling and unhelpful”.
“Labeling workplace health and safety as a monster is appalling and unhelpful, as the reason our legislative system exists is to prevent death, injury or illness at work, protecting livelihoods in the process,” said Mr Jones.
“The problem identified by the Government’s own reviews is not the law, but rather, exaggerated fear of being sued, fed by aggressive marketing.”
Mr Cameron also announced he will invite chief executives of major insurance companies to a summit at 10 Downing Street in February to ensure the level of compliance they demand from business do not go beyond what is required by the law.
