HSE funding cut by 100 million over 10 years

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have been dealt a large funding blow, with announcements they will face further budget cuts as the Government nears the 2020 deadline for a £100 million cut.

The news comes as Dame Judith Hackitt's term as chair of the HSE draws to a close as she "moves to pastures new", according to her final HSE blog.

Funding for the HSE will now be at around £141 million for the year of 2016/17. In 2009/10, the budget was around £231 million, whilst in 2019/2020, ten years on, the budget will stand to be around £123 million.

How this fits in with their plans for the next 12 months remains to be seen, as they are aiming to:

• complete review of oil and gas major hazard sites’ safety cases by April 2017 and to intervene at the 52 highest hazard offshore installations;
• monitor the growth of the biosciences sector and the shift from high-volume, low-margin chemicals manufacturing in the UK to specialised lower-volume manufacture and more imports;
• communicate with smaller businesses and produce an evidence-based intervention plan for regulating SMEs;
• publish an ill-health strategy by the end of 2016;
• review and simplify chemicals health and safety regulations, specifically the:
  • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) SI 2002/2677,
  • Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW) SI 2002/2676, and
  • Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations (DSEAR) SI 2002/2776;
• publish draft guidance to take forward a proposal to place less emphasis on written risk assessments;
• carry out 20,000 proactive workplace inspections, in addition to those prompted by injury reports, by April 2017;
• aim to influence the forthcoming EU review of health and safety law.

Cedrec's take

There can be a great deal of speculation following the news.

First, will the HSE use FFI, Fees for Intervention, to supplement income? Will the HSE turn to more prosecutions and investigations to fill gaps?

On the other hand, the cuts could mean downsizing the HSE as an organisation. Redundancies, as cost cutting measures, will most likely negatively impact the functionality of the HSE. They are in part responsible for so many of the improvements to UK health and safety, and one of the driving forces behind pursuing organisations who put workers and the public at risk.

Whatever the outcome, belts will no doubt be tightened at the HSE.