All Members Circular - Lord Young: Review of Health and Safety and Compensation Culture

 

2 July 2010

TO:             ALL MEMBERS

Dear Brother/Sister

 

Members may be aware that the Government has announced a review of the “operation of Health and Safety law and the growth of a compensation culture”.  This review is headed by Lord Young of Graffham. A particular feature of this review will be the Health and Safety regulation within the Emergency Services such as our own.

 

In a recent interview in The Times newspaper (19 June) Lord Young is quoted as saying that, “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”. The report also states that Lord Young’s intention is to remove Emergency Services from “Health and Safety rules.”

 

Members will recall that in 2008 the FBU published a report called In the Line of Duty. This report highlighted the number of fatalities in the Fire and Rescue Service and the fact that we had experienced the worst five year period for deaths at fires for more than thirty years. Thirteen members had been killed at fires in the five preceding years. In the two years since that report you will be well aware that there have been more tragic losses, including the recent double fatality in Southampton. The 12th July will also mark the first anniversary of the death of Brother Ewan Williamson at the fire at the Balmoral Bar in Edinburgh.

 

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. In fact, every report following the loss of life has drawn attention to weaknesses and to improvements which need to be made. There is no evidence of Firefighters refusing to attend fires. Firefighters respond day in and day out to emergency incidents of all kinds. The 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 frontline emergency cover.

 

I have raised our concern over this review at the TUC General council and will be participating in a TUC delegation to see Lord Young next week. As a result of the concerns we have raised, the FBU has now also been invited to attend a separate meeting with Lord Young and to make a submission to the review. The submission is currently being finalised and will be circulated in due course. I shall ensure that members are kept informed of developments in this area.

 

Best wishes.

 

Yours fraternally

  

MATT WRACK

GENERAL SECRETARY