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The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has expressed concern over a fall in inspection rates by local authorities, which it claims is partly caused by recruitment problems in the regulatory services.
New statistics show that enforcement inspection rates by local authorities have fallen by 10 per cent, while the number of full-time officers responsible for health and safety has fallen below 1997 levels.
Around 12 million people rely on local authorities to protect their health and safety while at work, along with countless numbers of the public who depend on inspections to ensure their safety in places like hotels and supermarkets.
Allan Davies, head of the local authority unit at the HSC, accused local authorities of reducing the priority they give to health and safety enforcement.
He cited the recruitment crisis in local government as one of the major factors in the drop-off in enforcement, particularly in relation to the regulatory services.
"There is clear evidence that many local authority inspectors are more carefully targeting their work to areas of greatest risk and this must be recognised and commended. However, the overall trend is not encouraging," he said.
“The Health and Safety Commission has set clear priorities for health and safety and local government has a key role in meeting those targets. Continual under-resourcing must be addressed to provide a consistent approach across the country,” he added.
