Following the launch of the Health and Safety Executive’ (HSE) inspections into stone fabricators, government ministers have revealed that roughly half of those investigated so far were found to be breaking new workplace safety rules, and told to ‘stop processing’ immediately.
Last month, the HSE announced it was preparing a major inspection programme that would targeting 1,000 stone businesses in the UK, in a bid to crack down on workplaces operating with unsafe practices.
Discussing the progress of the inspection campaign so far, Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, says that the HSE has carried out 13 inspections since the scheme began.
All of the businesses investigated were “places that concern was expressed to [HSE] about”, and of all of the inspections that have taken place so far, two of the businesses have already ceased trading.
Of the 11 remaining businesses, six were “made to stop processing immediately”. Sir Timms explained that several businesses received improvement notices for failing to provide the correct respiratory equipment, while others received warnings for failing to provide health surveillance for employees.
Concerningly, only one of the 13 businesses investigated so far has been found to be “operating in an exemplary way”.
His comments were raised during a House of Commons debate on workplace exposure to silica dust – which can cause the disease silicosis if inhaled – which took place on June 2.
The debate was brought to the House by Liz Jarvis, MP for Eastleigh, who welcomed the recent steps the HSE has taken to crack down on unsafe fabricators. However, she said there were “concerns that the HSE’s current resources, enforcement powers and inspection capacity are not sufficient to deal with what could become a major national occupational health crisis”.
She continued: “There is a fear that enforcement remains inconsistent, and that rogue operators continue to evade scrutiny altogether. There should be absolute agreement on some fundamental principles: exposure limits must be rigorously enforced, proper personal protective equipment must be mandatory, workers must receive proper training, and health surveillance must become vastly more robust.”
Referring to Australia’s national screening programme for silicosis cases, Jarvis asked the House: “Why are we not introducing a targeted national screening programme here in the UK for workers in high-risk sectors, such as kitchen fitters, stonemasons and construction workers? There needs to be a large public awareness campaign for those potentially at risk and for NHS practitioners.”
In response, Sir Timms explained: “We are going to keep this closely under review, though we are not currently proposing a ban on engineered stone in the UK. It would not solve the problem in workplaces that did not have adequate safeguards, because as I have said, problems can arise with natural stone. And the evidence is clear that workers can be protected from the dangers of engineered stone if the right control measures are in place. Those controls need to be in place now to make sure that exposure to harmful dust does not occur.”
He continued: “Through the [investigation] programme, HSE will inspect every site it can identify in the country that works with engineered stone. The resources are available to do the job properly, and inspections are under way across the country. Wherever standards are not met, enforcement action will be taken, including a prohibition notice if necessary.
“The inspections are now under way, and we are determined to drive out the poor practice behind the problems we have heard about in this debate,” he concluded, adding: “I will continue to monitor the evidence available in this country and keep an eye on what is going on elsewhere in the world. I will be very happy to consider further measures if it becomes clear that they are needed.”
In related news, the cover feature of this month’s kbbreview Magazine focuses on the HSE’s new guidance into safe stone fabrication, as well as whether the industry believes it will go far enough to combat fears around silicosis.
