 EC case could spell disaster for UK EC meddling could set back UK health and safety 40 years
October 16th 2006 The UK government is currently fighting the European Commission in a Luxembourg court because the EC says the UK has failed to properly implement European health and safety law.
If the Commission has its way, Britain will no longer be able to deal with big risks and leave trivial ones alone. Instead, all risks, no matter how small, will have to be equally assessed and controlled. Technically, this could mean the risks presented by envelopes, plant pots and paperclips being treated the same as the dangers presented by scaffolding, machinery or electrical equipment.
If the EC wins the case, some UK experts claim it will destroy decades of progress. "Health and safety in this country could be turned back 40 years," warned IOSH president Neil Budworth. "All current legislation will have to be re-written and employers will be required to assess every risk, regardless of how small that risk is.
"This will drown many companies in red tape at a time when our profession and the Health & Safety Executive, are doing their utmost to balance the scale of the risk against the effort to control it.
"The call by the European Commission for the UK to change its method of assessing risk comes despite the fact the UK has one of the best health and safety records in Europe. We urge the UK to defend this case to the hilt, and call for the EU to drop this ridiculous case."
The EC's final judgement is due next year. More articles from IOSH: | 
