3rd April 2009
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| New HQ: the HSE’s Bootle offices |
Workers are being put at risk because the Health and Safety Executive is haemorrhaging policy experts, unions have warned.
Chris Hurley, chair of the Public and Commercial Services Union branch at the HSE in London, told EHN that hundreds of experienced members of staff had left the organisation because they did not want to move to the new headquarters in Bootle, Merseyside.
‘Lots of the people leaving have worked for the HSE for 30 years or more. It will take a long time to replace their expertise and knowledge,’ she said. ‘There will not be enough experienced members of staff to develop the vital guidance that helps identify and manage risks and dangers in the workplace.’
So far only four HSE employees based in London out of a potential 320 have moved to Bootle.
Ms Hurley said morale among the HSE staff left at the organisation’s former head office at Rose Court, Southwark, had ‘hit rock-bottom’.
She claimed: ‘The mood is very poor. Staff feel demoralised and undervalued. Management wants everybody out the door as quickly as possible.’
She said many would have preferred to stay because they were committed to improving health and safety. ‘Most people who work here have worked here a long time because they really believe in the organisation,’ she said. ‘They want to improve health and safety in the workplace but now they must find new jobs.’
An HSE employee based in London, who wishes to remain anonymous, told EHN: ‘Morale here is terrible. No one wants to go up to Bootle.’
The HSE admitted only a few people had relocated but said it expected more to in the near future. It added that it was working closely with trades unions to help staff find alternative employment.
The watchdog insisted the move had not affected its ability to operate. ‘The move to a single HQ in Bootle has not affected the HSE’s ability to operate,’ said a spokesperson.
‘The independent Gateway Review by the Department of Work and Pensions has endorsed the HSE’s risk-management arrangements, which include the recruitment of new staff to Bootle, retention of key London staff through the transition process, flexibility to adapt to the pace of change and any emerging pressures,’ the spokesperson added.
The HSE, which has recruited 392 new staff in 2008/09, said it had experienced ‘small shortfalls’ in some specialist areas but these were unrelated to the move.
Last year the work and pensions select committee said the number of prosecutions and inspections had declined since 1999/2000. It said businesses could expect a visit once every 14 years and the average fine of £8,723 was too low.
HSE staff staged protests at the move last May and presented a petition to chief executive Geoffrey Podger.