A new TUC survey of over 3,000 union health and safety representatives has revealed that no progress has been made in reducing physical risks for workers over the last three years. The survey shows that reps’ concerns over musculoskeletal issues like back strain and workplace accidents (slips, trips and falls) have gone unaddressed and the number of reps concerned about physical risks like handling heavy loads and working in low temperatures has increased – highlighting government failure to reduce serious physical risks for British workers.

Just one in five (22%) of those surveyed said their workplaces had an HSE inspection over the last year and six in ten (60%) said they were not aware of their workplace ever having an inspection.

The union body says that unless HSE funding is restored there will continue to be a “glaring shortage” of inspectors to visit workplaces and enforce safety rules.

The top five most cited physical risks are back strain, slips, trips and falls, overwork, low temperatures and long hours, according to the survey.

Injuries like back strain and slips, trips and falls are still the most cited risks (both 29%), followed by overwork (28%).

Other risks raised in the survey include poor ventilation:

• 36% of reps say that their employer has not taken action to monitor and improve ventilation to manage the risk of COVID infection, a major concern as winter looms.
• The main industries where reps said that no COVID action had been taken are transport and communication (46%), distribution (46%), leisure services (42%) and hospitality (40%).

Stress is also the biggest concern across the country with reps in every single region choosing it as the most concerning hazard at work.

Stress is the most common top concern for reps in most private sector industries surveyed, including construction, manufacturing, energy and water, and transport and communications. It is also the top concern in the public sector for reps in health, education and all types of government.

The HSE’s budget was cut by more than half since 2010 and still hasn’t been restored despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

TUC General Secretary, Paul Nowak, said:

“Everyone should be safe at work. But preventable risks like injury, stress and over work are not being dealt with. And other issues like poor ventilation – which we know contribute to the spread of viruses – are going unaddressed. All paths lead back to the government. The Tories’ decision to slash the Health and Safety Executive’s budget by half since 2010 has led to a glaring shortage of inspectors so rogue employers can cut corners and get away scot-free. We urgently need to restore this funding so that we have more inspectors visiting workplaces and enforcing safety rules. My message to anyone worried about their safety and welfare at work is to join a union. We know that unionised workplaces are safer because union reps work with employers to reduce risks. “

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