OUR observations about occupational health and safety (Letters, October 29), a matter reserved to the Westminster Parliament, clearly referred to the UK.
With the Smith Commission now looking at what powers might be devolved post-referendum, it is significant that several submissions have been made to it that call explicitly for occupational health and safety to be devolved to Holyrood as it affects Scottish workers. The STUC, individual trade unions who represent many of those working in the most hazardous occupations, the National Hazards Campaign and Scottish Hazards Campaign all support the more democratic devolved option. This was a position that we put recently to the Working Together Review chaired by former Minister Jim Mather looking at the working environment in Scotland. In the latest YouGov poll on Scottish devolution matters, 60 per cent of the adults polled wanted health and safety regulations, consumer protection and competition law devolved to the Scottish Government with only eight per cent don't knows.
Barry Baker, the acting head of HSE Scotland, then goes on to make questionable statements about the HSE's record (Letters, November 3). HSE itself acknowledges that it significantly under-reports both injuries and diseases but we are happy to quote some examples from the same HSE 2013/2014 GB statistics that came out in its own publication last week.
An estimated two million working people suffering from a self-reported work-related or work-caused illness (ill-health accounts for around 99 per cent of work-related deaths each year); around 13,000 work-related deaths each year; 2,535 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2012); 8,000 deaths and 13,500 new cases of occupational cancer estimated each year; 4,000 COPD deaths estimated due to work exposures each year; 244,000 new cases of work-related stress (total 487 000) ; 18,000 new cases of noise-induced hearing loss estimated annually; 84,000 new cases of work-related musculoskeletal diseases each year (total 526,000 cases); 629,000 self-reported injuries at work; 28.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury; a £14.2 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2012/13).
Such figures do not indicate a regulator and inspectorate that has either spare capacity to engage in commercial activities or one that is a world leader. Also, in the United States there is much debate about how effective the HSE safety case model really is for the oil and gas industry.
The paradox in this discussion is that Mr Baker's involvement strengthens our argument for a serious debate in Scotland on health and safety and indeed wider environmental matters. This should emanate from Holyrood and at least include the organisations mentioned earlier and local communities who have a declared interest in these matters.
Professor Andrew Watterson, Professor Rory O'Neill, Tommy Gorman, Jim McCourt;
Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, School of Health Sciences,
RG Bomont Bldg R3T11,
University of Stirling, Stirling.
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