Red tape challenge is 'red herring', say unions
Doug Russell, H&S officer for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW ) attacked internet H&S forums "pandering to the prejudiced and misinformed".
He said the H&S strand of the government's Red Tape Challenge, which invites firms to suggest ways to cut bureaucracy online, was a "red herring".
Russell said: "The food industry still has an accident rate nearly twice as high as the manufacturing average. It would be better if government devoted more resources to evidence-based work by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), employers and unions through the Food and Drink Manufacture Health and Safety Forum to raise awareness."
Non-existent laws
The forum includes representatives from the HSE's Food Section, the Food and Drink Federation, other food/drink trade bodies and food industry unions.
Complaints on the Red Tape Challenge website about H&S bureaucracy mostly concern non-existent laws; poor legal understanding; or were irrelevant to industry H&S, Russell claimed.
Jennie Formby, national officer for food, drink and tobacco at trade union Unite, said the Red Tape Challenge was "a sham" and called for improved enforcement. "Web-based discussion forums will not prevent the rising tide of ill health and deaths at work," she said.
HSE figures issued last month showed deaths at work rose by 16% last year. Food industry fatalities were the lowest, though, with just two in 2010-2011.
Tom Chambers, Greencore H&S manager and member of the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health's Food and Drink Group, praised HSE campaigns, but said: "It's completely wrong to perceive health and safety regulations as unnecessary red tape."
The government website, www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk, was launched in April and has six streams, including H&S, for which comments are invited from June 30 to July 21.
