Media and Press

Plans to exempt emergency services from health and safety rules
Thu 8th Jul 10 - 11:31

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has raised concerns at suggestions that Lord Young’s forthcoming review will advocate that all emergency services should be exempt from health and safety regulations.

The Conservatives have already publicly stated their commitment to amending the HSWA in relation to the Police, amid stories that health and safety rules have, in some cases, prevented police officers from carrying out their duties to protect the public.

At the IOSH conference in Glasgow in March, Lord Young told delegates that he felt exemption from health and safety rules should apply across “all the uniformed services”. He reaffirmed his views in an interview last month with The Times newspaper, in which he said: “Technically speaking, the firemen could say they wouldn’t go to a fire because it was too dangerous. We’ve just got to get sense back into the system.”

In a memo last week to FBU members, general secretary Matt Wrack hit out at the implication that fire-fighters might refuse to attend fires on the grounds of risk, stressing: “There is no evidence whatsoever that excessive health and safety regulation is, in any way, damaging the ability of the Fire and Rescue Service to respond to emergency incidents.”

Wrack pointed out that between February 1996 and October 2002 there were no recorded fire-fighter deaths at fires in the UK, yet between 2003 and 2007, 13 fire-fighters were killed in their work.

He continued: “Fire-fighters respond day in and day out to emergency incidents of all kinds. They have the right to demand the best training, equipment and resources to do so. The only thing threatening our emergency response is the seemingly endless drive to make cuts to front-line emergency cover.”

The FBU has formulated its concerns in a submission to Lord Young’s review and has also been invited to meet the Tory peer to discuss its position.

Maria Penny, Personal injury Solicitor and Associate at Ralli said "The suggestion that fire-fighters would refuse to attend a fire because it is too dangerous is to my mind insulting to the thousands of fire-fighters who work hard in a challenging and dangerous environment almost every day.
 
To suggest removal of health and safety regulations could lead to a reduction in the level of training and the provision of essential equipment and there is no evidence to suggest that health and safety regulation hinders the work fire-fighters undertake. 

Every employee has the right to a safe place and safe system of work.  Obviously due to the nature of the work undertaken it is accepted that the risk is higher for those working in the fire-service but to say the rules should be scrapped altogether is nonsensical.  Regulations governing safety at work ensure the worker is protected where possible, and all foreseeable risks are considered to ensure the worker is not placed at risk needlessly.  The regulations also ensure appropriate training and supervision is provided which is crucial.

Of course there are instances where people have not been rescued because of health and safety issues but I believe a non-bureaucratic system should be adopted to ensure those needing help receive it where possible and in most cases common sense should prevail.  All risks need not be eliminated entirely and the law refers to doing what is ‘reasonably practicable’.

The figures concerning fire-fighter fatalities clearly support the fact that good regulation and work practice is justified"